Tempera and oil on curved wooden panel bordered in green and geometric designs in gold leaf and red paint. The central image features a brown haired young man shown from the waist up holding a golden spoon and square box. He is clothed in pink and turquoise robes. Black Cyrillic alphabet captions flank him on either side in the central painting.
Type of Painting
Panel
Artwork Details
Medium
Tempera, Oil
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
circa 1850
Place
* Untyped Place
Moscow, Russia
Lexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
Icon
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
Symbol, Religious
Nomenclature Sub-Class
Religious Objects
Nomenclature Class
Ceremonial Objects
Nomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication Objects
Dimensions
Height
14 in
Width
11-1/4 in
Depth
1-1/2 in
Exhibition
Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)
Interpretative Labels
Label Type
Cultural/Historical Context
Label
"St. Panteleimon lived in Nicomedia at a time when Christians were persecuted under the emperor Diocletian. He became a healer and gave money to the poor. Panteleimon confessed to being a Christian in front of the emperor in 309 CE and was sentenced to torture and beheading. Legend holds that no harm came to him during the numerous moments of torture and that he could not be beheaded until he blessed such an act. As an “Unmercenary Physician,” he is shown holding a spoon and a box of instruments.
The detailed serrated halo surrounding St. Panteleimon’s head is incorporated into the background, and the sumptuous use of gold leaf and red coloring offsets this saint. The realistically shown drapery, three-dimensional shading, well-proportioned features, and softened modeling attest to western artistic influence."
