Nicholas the Wonderworker, with scenes from his life

Iconography:  Nicholas of Zaraysk, St.

Date: XVI century. The first half of the 16th c.

Iconographic school/art center:  The Vologda school

Origin: From the Church of John the Baptist at Dudikova pustyn, Vologda.

Material: Wood, canvas, levkas, tempera

Dimensions:  height 101 cm, width 72,5 cm

In the center of the icon is an image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The saint is dressed in a dark-blue surplice, white polystavrion with brown crosses, with a white seamy side and cinnabar band on the edge, white omophorion with black crosses, decorated with stripes in the end and four dots of the same color, ochrous epitrachelion and epigonation with golden assist and red brushes at the ends. The saint’s left hand is covered with a large dark-blue cloth, on which lies the Gospel with a red edge and ochrous book-case, decorated with a golden assist. To the left, on the saint’s belt, symmetrically to an epigonation is a red cloth. The icon was covered with a basma case, which can be seen from numerous nail traces. The center of the icon is surrounded by 16 scenes from the life and miracles of St. Nicholas. Border-scenes 1. The Nativity of St. Nicholas; 2. St. Nicholas refuses to drink milk on fast days; 3. The Baptism of St. Nicholas; 4. St. Nicholas heals a woman with a crippled arm; 5. St. Nicholas brought to monastic school; 6. St. Nicholas consecrated deacon; 7. St. Nicholas consecrated archbishop; 8. St. Nicholas appears to the Emperor Constantine in a dream; 9. St. Nicholas appears to the eparch Eulavius in a dream 10. St. Nicholas appears to three generals in prison; 11. St. Nicholas saves three generals from the execution; 12. St. Nicholas saves a drowning youth Dimitri; 13. St. Nicholas buys a carpet from the old man (the miracle of a carpet); 14. St. Nicholas returns the carpet to the old man’s wife (the miracle of a carpet); 15. The Dormition of St. Nicholas; 16. The relics of the saints are carried from Myra to Bari.

Inv. NO ВОКМ 10336 © Vologda State Museum of History, Architecture and Art


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