$1,673
c. 1825 egg tempera on wood 1 x 3/4 in. (2.7 x 2 cm.) PROVENANCE: Armand Hammer Collection; Russian Imperial Treasures - Marshall Field & Co. (label on verso); Mrs. Henry G. Martin Jr., Baltimore, Maryland. Click on the photographs below to see details: A letter of provenance from Marshall Field & Company to Mrs. Henry Martin dated July 6, 1934 is included with this lot, along with a letter from Marshall Field with historical information on the icon, also dated July 6, 1934. The second letter reads, "Small icon painted in egg tempera on wood depicting 'The Entry into Jerusalem.' The fascinating history of Icons can be traced back to the time of the Pyramids in Egypt, but the oldest examples today are to be found in the Russian Churches. The primary influence was that of the Byzantine, which accounts for their resemblance to the Italian Primitive with which we are more familiar. The spiritual feeling in these works of art is the expession of the monks who executed them after long and fervent prayer. larger icons are usually painted on wooden plaques; the small metal ones were even more personal and were worn about the neck or carried in the pocket to be near at hand in time of need. Mrs. Henry G. Martin, Jr."
Auctioneer:
Shapiro Auctions
Date:
2007-10-20
