Nicholas the Wonderworker, St., Holy Virgin Hodegetria of Petrovsk. Processional icon

Iconography:  Holy Virgin Hodegetria, Nicholas the Wonderworker, saint

Date: XIV century. Late 14th – beginning of the 16th century

Material: Wood, tempera

Dimensions:  height 46,5 cm, width 39 cm

The depiction of saint Nicholas dates back to the 14th century and the depiction of Our Lady with the Divine Child – to the 16th century. Nicholas the Wonderworker is shown waist-length in a frontal pose. His right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing, his left hand holds the Gospel book. The face of the saint with a high forehead and the deep set eyes is framed by the light hair and the curly beard. He is dressed in the phelonion, on his shoulders is the white omophorion decorated with the black crosses. The silhouette of the figure is exquisite, the colors are pure but diluted by the light reduced ochres. The face is painted graphically and is covered with the intense highlights. The icon is likely to have been painted by the Russian icongrapher who patterned the byzantine image.

The Mother of God is pointing at the Divine Child Who is blessing and holding a scroll in His hand.

Was deposited in 1931 as part of the pre-revolutionary collection of the museum, its initial location is unknown.

Restoration: МежСНРПМ, 1979, restorer – Rybakova T.P.

Inv. № 655/71. © Cherepovets Museum Association

Bibliography: Куликова О.В. Древние лики Русского Севера. Из музейного собрания икон XIV-XIX веков города Череповца. М., 2009. С. 13, кат. № 1 (Илл. 1, 1а).  

  • General view (Our Lady of Petrovsk)
  • Mullion
  • The face of the Mother of God
  • Face of the Divine Child
  • General view (Nicolas the Wonderwoker)
  • Mullion
  • The face of Nicolas the Wonderwoker