Unknown
Russian
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1850 ca.
egg tempera on wood
12 1/8 x 10 3/4 in.
SBMA, Anonymous Gift
1961.5.3
COMMENTS
Description
This extremely detailed icon, the most complex of all the Santa Barbara icons, is typical of the later Russian Easter icons celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is painted by a continuous method in which one narrative scene is blended sequentially into another. The sequence begins in the upper left, moves to the center, then crosses diagonally in a serpentine manner to the bottom, moves up the right side, and finally finishes a the top center. Four appearances of Christ before his Ascension are tucked away in residual spaces. Specific scenes, identified by inscriptions in the border, are as follows: (1) Crucifixions, (2) Doubting Thomas, (3) St Peter and St. John discovering the empty tomb, (4) Three Marys at the tomb, (5) Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene, (6) Resurrection of Christ, (7) Descent into Limbo, (8) Appearance of Christ to St. Peter and St. Andrew, who are fishing, (9) Procession of the Righteous from Limbo, (10) Christ and the Repentant Thief, (11) Gate of Paradise, (12) Christ’s appearance to the two Apostles at Emmaus, (13) Repentant Thief in Paradise, and (14) Christ’s Ascension.
In the frame at the very top is the New Testament Trinity (15) framed by a floral tondo and surrounded by the four Evangelist symbols. The large decorative script at the top refers to the main Easter theme: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Voskreseniye).
Origin, Iconography and Style
The miniature scene of the Crucifixion is depicted in the traditional way. Christ on the Cross is flanked by the two Marys on His right and St. John the Evangelist and the Roman centurian Longinus on His left. In a rocky cave below Christ is the skull of Adam. The scene to the right (Doubting Thomas) takes place in an upper room: Christ stands in the doorway while St. Thomas on the left thrusts out his hand to insert in one of Christ’s wounds. Below this scene, St. Peter and St. John are shown reaching into Christ’s sarcophagus to discover only His winding cloth. The draper billowing behind them is meant to indicate the speed with which they rushed into the tomb when the heard of the body’s disappearance. Next appear the three Marys carrying ointment jars; they look into the empty tomb while a seated angel points into the coffin at the winding cloth.
In the center of the icon, Christ, surrounded by a radian mandorla (an all-encompassing halo) streaked with golden rays of light called assist, bounds out of the coffin while soldiers fall back in consternation on the right. A procession of angels on the left descend towards the towered and domed structure which represent the entrance to Hell. The golden doors are broken down by the angels as dark-skinned devils scramble in terror. At the bottom center, Christ, holding a triumphal cross-staff and standing on the golden doors of Hell, once again appears within a mandorla. In His right hand He grasps the wrist of the Old Testament Adam and pulls him out of his coffin. Below Adam is Eve and others who prayerfully wait to be saved. On the right, below Christ, angels are seen binding Satan with chains while various locks and bolts float in the dark abyss.
In the lower right corner, a group of Apostles, including Peter and Andrew, are shown stripped to the waist and casting their fishing net into the Sea of Tiberias while Jesus instructs them from the shore. This event, which includes a miraculous catch of fish, is described in the Gospels as taking place after Christ’s burial (John 21:1-6)
Directly above this scene is a rocky landscape where Christ speaks to the repentant thief who carries his cross. The Gospel of St. Luke (23:43) records Jesus as saying to this thief, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Immediately to the left is a procession originating in Limbo and consisting of angels, Old Testament prophets, and near the top, St. John the Baptist. At the very top of the procession is the repentant thief once again who stands beside the tower-gateway leading to Paradise. The gateway is guarded by a red cherub. Within the garden the repentant thief appears a third time, still holding his cross, as he does in his other two appearances. Here, however, he is seated between two Old Testament Fathers.
Directly below the Paradise scene is a double scene of Christ’s disguised appearance to the two Apostles on the way to Emmaus, and the supper the three shared at Emmaus, when Jesus revealed His true identity to them. (Luke 24: 13-22).
On the central axis of the icon, directly above the Resurrected Christ, is the scent of the Ascension of Christ into the Heavens. He appears in a mandorla held by four angels. Below him is the Virgin Mary, two additional angels pointing heavenward, and the Apostles. This way of representing the Ascension was a traditional one in Byzantine art from the 6th century.
On the raised frame, at the very top, the New Testament Trinity is depicted, with the crowned figure of Christ on the left holding the Gospels, and God the Father, also Crowned, on the right. The latter raises His right hand in blessing and holds the cross-surmounted globe in His left. Between the two sacred figures are the dove of the Holy Spirit and the instruments of Christ’s Passion (cross, sponge and spear). Surrounding the Trinity is a laurel wreath tondo flanked by symbols of the four Evangelists painted fiery red: the Angel for Matthew, the Lion for Mark, the Ox for Luke, and the Eagle for John.
The actual Resurrection scene—Christ stepping out of the tomb—does not appear in Russian art until the 16th century, and when it does, it reflects the increasing influence of Western iconography. In early Christian art (catacomb paintings and sarcophagi) the Resurrection of Christ had been represented by allegorical scenes of Jonah and the Whale because Christ had compared Himself to Jonah. (Matthew 12:39-40)
In Byzantine art, on the other hand, Christ’s descent into Limbo became the standard way of representing the Resurrection. The earliest example of this theme appears in an 8th century fresco in the church of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome. A slightly later (9th century) byzantine representation is to be found in the Chludov Psalter now in Moscow. However, the most dramatic example of the theme in Orthodox art is undoubtedly the 14th century fresco in the Kariye Djami in Constantinople. The literary source for Christ’s Descent into Limbo is found not in the canonical Gospels but in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus and the Acts of Pilate, both believed to be from the 4th century. The latter describes how Satan was bound with chains and cast into the depths of a bottomless pit when Christ entered Hell. Jesus then spoke to Adam, “Peace be unto thee, Adam, and unto thy children unto everlasting ages. Amen.” Adam answered, “Thou art come, O King of Glory, to set men free and gather them to thine everlasting kingdom.” The Gospel of Nicodemus (17:1-27) recounts how Christ raised Adam by the right hand as a sign of the redemption of all the Righteous. He then led them all to Paradise.
Easter, the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection, became the central feast in the Orthodox Church. As St. Gregory the Theologian described it: “It is the feast of feasts and the celebration of celebrations; it excels all other festivals, as the sun excels the stars; and this is true not only of human and earthly feasts, but also of those belonging to Christ and celebrated for Christ.” (Easter Sermon 45:PG. 36, col 624) The Resurrection was so important that Sunday, the day on which Christ rose from the dead was called voskresniye, or “resurrection” in Russian, a term still used today.
- Robert Henning, Jr., "Russian Icons in Santa Barbara," Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1982
Bibliography
Cornelius, G., Die Höllenfahrt Christi, Munich-Autenried, 1967.
Onasch, K. Icons, London, 1961, pl. 36; pp. 363-4.
Ouspensky, L. and Lossky, V., The Meaning of Icons, 1952, pp. 186-192.
Rothemund, Bohs, Handbuch de Ikonenkunst, Munich, 1966, pp. 308-11.
SBMA CURATORIAL LABELS
This small icon entitled "The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ" was meant to be read almost like a book. It illustrates Christ's victory over death through a number of scenes. Above, Jesus is seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father. In the center, he triumphantly leaves the tomb and releases Adam and Eve from their captivity in hell. Up on the right are the gates of Paradise, which the Good Thief has already entered (Luke 23:39-43). On the upper left are the Crucifixion, Incredulity of Thomas and Ascension. Below, the myrrh-bearing women and Saint Peter visit Christ's empty tomb. On the lower right, the risen Christ appears to His disciples at Lake Tiberias (John 21:1-14).
- Religious Images of the Christian East, 2013