The icon of prokopiy chirin "nikita the warrior" comes from the annunciation cathedral in solvychegodsk. On its reverse side, under the upper keyway, is an inscription in cursive: "in the year [7101 (1593)] this icon was painted in moscow by the icon painter prokopiy naugorodets. This icon is covered with chased silver and gilded and decorated with stone and pearls […107 (1598)] in the year [15] september, built by nikita grigoriev, son of stroganov. " on the upper keyway is the stroganov house stamp. The icon was the central part of a triptych (a three-wing folding icon), on the wings of which the life of saint nikita was depicted (the life scenes were painted by another artist). The wings and the gold chased frame from the icon are currently kept in the state historical museum in moscow. Prokopiy chirin, like other famous icon painters of the late 16th – first half of the 17th century istoma savin, nazariy istomin (savin) and nikifor savin, created a number of works for the stroganov family – the largest merchants, industrialists and eminent people of that time (these works are sometimes united under the conventional name "stroganov school"). The holy martyr nikita was the patron saint of nikita grigorievich stroganov, who ordered not only the gold chased frame, but, apparently, the icon as well. In the icon by prokopiy chirin, saint nikita is depicted full-length, in a three-quarter turn, praying before the image of the mother of god with the child (in the clouds, in the upper right corner of the icon). Similar images of saints before christ or the mother of god, which became widespread in the 16th and especially in the 17th centuries, along with traditional frontal images, expressed the idea of intercessory, mediating prayer. Saint nikita is depicted in full military attire: he holds a sword in his left hand, and his right hand is extended toward the image of the mother of god in the clouds. The dense dark green background means that the icon was intended for a frame. Unlike the somewhat provincial and archaic works that came directly from the solvychegodsk icon-painting workshops, the icons of the moscow "sovereign masters" represent one of the most elite and refined artistic phenomena in russian art of the late middle ages, the origins of which lie in the moscow court culture. Like most of the "stroganov" icons, the icon of prokopiy chirin is small in size, with small, carefully drawn details. The special sophistication of the drawing and color, the abundance of the finest ornament, drawn with gold and silver lines, bring these works closer to book miniatures, engravings and jewelry art of the previous time. The special fragility, elongated proportions, abundance of gold in the clothes and light reflections in the personal letter create an ethereal, light-permeated image, similar to a heavenly, paradisiacal vision and reminiscent of the perfect spiritual beauty of the heavenly world. Object Type: painting. Date: 1593. Dimensions: height: 29 cm (11.4 in); width: 225 cm (88.5 in). Medium: tempera on wood. Collection: Tretyakov Gallery.
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