St. Sergius of Radonezh

Painting

Purdue University Galleries

Name/Title

St. Sergius of Radonezh

Entry/Object ID

2005.02.046

Description

Tempera on curved wooden panel bordered in geometric gold leaf designs. The central image features a man with white hair and beard in olive brown cloak and black and red cross stole. He holds a scroll in one hand.

Type of Painting

Panel

Artwork Details

Medium

Tempera

Collection

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

Acquisition

Accession

2005.02

Source or Donor

Betsy Scheuring

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

Made/Created

Date made

1904

Place

* Untyped Place

Moscow, Russia

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Stamp

Location

Back of icon

Transcription

See photo

Language

Cyrillic alphabet, Russian

Notes

c. March 18, 1904

Dimensions

Height

14 in

Width

12-1/4 in

Exhibitions

Themes of Christian Art Drawn From Local Sources (2021)

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

St. Sergius was born in Rostov around the year 1321 and died in 1391. He established a hermitage in the forest north of Moscow that later became a monastery, known today as Holy Trinity Lavra. The gorgeous imagery and incredible detail of this icon give it a truly spiritual quality. The style is western-influenced, and the skull and crossbones represented below the cross on the saint’s garment refer to Golgotha or Cavalry, the place of Christ’s Crucifixion.