Group of Nine Selected Saints

Painting

-

Purdue University Galleries

Name/Title

Group of Nine Selected Saints

Entry/Object ID

2005.02.032

Description

Mixed oil and egg tempera on pink bordered flat wooden panel. Gold leaf makes up the border with spiral and floral designs with additional baby pink, blue, red, and green colors in the four corners and side margins. In the top center, a man with white hair and beard sits in the clouds with arms outstretched in white and green robes. Below him on a gold leaf background with gold leaf haloes rimmed in petal lace motifs stands five women and four men. Their names are inscribed in their halos. In the center front stands the child martyr Nadezha (Hope) in pink and white robes with gold unbound hair and a cross in her right 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

circa 1900

Place

City

St. Petersburg

Country

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

12-1/2 in

Depth

1-1/2 in

Exhibition

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

Starting from the upper left the saints represented include: the Holy Martyr Valentina, the Holy Empress Alexandra, St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Nicholas, the Holy Martyr Nadezha (Hope), St. Anna, St. Mary Magdalene, the Archangel Michael, and St. Seraphim of Sarov. This particular choice of saints may have had special significance for the patron, perhaps being name saints for members of his family. Above in the clouds is Christ with arms outstretched. Here in this relatively modern work the influence of western art is evident, especially in the modeling of the figures’ faces, the natural-looking treatment of the drapery, and the illusion of space in the foreground. The background, however, is kept flat, blending with the decorative border.