Auction of icons on Cyprus

[gans]

Orthodox Church in Cyprus is older than in Russia. According to legend, the Apostle Paul preached here and founded the first monastery of St. Helen, who brought to the island part of the Cross. However, its auction of icons there never has been - the Cypriot, Greek, Russian icons collectors traditionally bought at auctions and in galleries in Germany or in London. Tradition has decided to reverse an expert on Orthodox iconography Maria Pafiti, which has done such auctions, first in London, Christie `s, and then in London as Macdougall` s. Her gallery La Parole Divine, along with Cyprus Ledra Management will hold a trial auction in a hotel in Limassol.

Nearly one hundred and fifty lots in the auction catalog - is the art of "the Orthodox world, from the Cretan-Venetian" Our Lady of nursing, the second half of XVI century (estimate € 60-80 thousand), which looks almost a Renaissance painting, and stands on the brink of the Orthodox and Roman World to strictly canonical Russian Virgin. The chronological boundaries as wide - from a small post Byzantine "Christmas" in 1425, charming in its naive archaic (€ 18-24 thousand), to the mosaic face of Christ Pantocrator, established on Mount Athos in 1961 (€ 6-8 thousand) .

Among the most expensive Russian Icons - Two of Our Lady, "Murom" XVI century (€ 35-45 thousand) and "Vzygranie baby" XVII century (€ 40-50 thousand). Russian icon of the XVII century "Gerasim Jordan with a lion" - canonical, but rare image. The icon lion cinnabar tongue stretches out his paw holy monk, who took out her splinter (€ 50-60 thousand).

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At the auction there are many very modestly priced Russian icons, not so old, but interesting from the standpoint of rare iconography. For example, extremely rare "Virgin of the August", depicting the Virgin Mary with Child Russian troops during the First World War, under the Polish town of Augustow in commemoration of their victory four days later. " The icon visible officers and soldiers, litsezrevshie miracle, such images were writing only from 1915 to 1918 (€ 1,3-2,3 thousand). Very unusual is an icon board with the text of the prayers Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, presumably the XVIII century. The text takes on a board dominated, and in the upper part of the angels hold in their hands a little image of the Virgin (€ 2,5-3,5 thousand). Others are rare equipment, such as written in paint on papier-mâché "Lady of Aparecida Sergey Radonezhsky" (€ 2-2,5 thousand), the icon is created on the factory Lukutin, famous for its hand-painted boxes. A total of € 8-12 thousand estimated miniature 1860, representing the Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna in the form of an angel with a censer and a candle. This is a copy of the paintings on the same subject brush Timothy Neff, in 1998 sold at Sotheby `s for £ 85 thousand; miniature belonged to Professor Adrian Prahova, art critic and historian.

Different faces of Russian icons - late icon, provincial schools - not always well known to viewers, and sometimes seem to be a revelation even museum workers and collectors. What to say about the Greek, Cypriot or icon of Asia Minor - so you see, unfortunately, only in exhibition catalogs (or auction). The striking combination of antiquity and the Renaissance can be seen in the Cretan folding the XVI century: the scene of the Transfiguration is written in the canon, in the reverse perspective, with steep "hill", just as it ages written and Russia. And another leaf, with the Secret Supper, written in the style of the European Renaissance, obviously, for some engraving; apostles sitting round the table, gesticulating violently, architecture is full of air and the volume (€ 28-35 thousand). Greek George kills the serpent, sitting on a horse in a complex "Baroque" pose (XVII Century, € 32-40 thousand), a repentant Peter wrung his hands in shame, hearing the cry of a red rooster ("Repentance of St. Peter, Greece, XVII Century).

Palestinian Topography of the Holy Land "- a sort of guide in pictures (€ 15-20 thousand). Large panel lined into fragments, in which - the temple of the Holy Sepulchre, with all its parts: the bottom - the baptism in the Jordan, Christmas in Bethlehem and the Battle of St. George with the serpent in the Lebanese mountains, at the top - Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and Noah's ark in the middle of an endless sea. All of this is "the Orthodox world" in the headline of the auction, only the eyes of an unknown folk artist of the XIX century.

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=1358563

May 7
Hotel Le Méridien
Limassol, Cyprus


Auction bill
http://issuu.com/laparoledivine/docs...ine&mode=embed

[NATA NOVA]

gans, thanks for the post and especially for the mention of St. Gerasimos of Jordan (SV.Ieronim?)

Added after 8 minutes
Reverend
Gerasim Jordan
His memory is celebrated on 4 /17 March


Thank fasters - Rev. Gerasim had worked in a monastery near Jerusalem.
Novice monks lived in the monastery itself, and experienced settled in the desert in solitary cells. Five days a week spent in the desert solitude and perfect silence. Praying, they wove baskets of palm branches. Do hermit was nothing but worn-out clothes so woven from twigs litter on which they slept. Their spiritual father, the Rev. Gerasim forbade them to go out of his cell and lock the door so that anyone could enter and take what he likes.
They eat biscuits with water and dates. In cells not allowed to cook and even build a fire - and that they not come to mind to cook something. One day, a few monks asked for authorization to read at night by candlelight, and light a fire - to warm water. St Gerasim replied: "Do you want to build a fire - live at the monastery with novonachalnymi, and hermit cells, I will not stand." The very Reverend Gerasim full of Lent until Easter, ate nothing and only communion with the Divine Mysteries reinforces the body and soul.
On Saturdays and Sundays, going to the abode of hermits. After Holy Communion, they went into the meal, and dinner - eat cooked food and drank a little wine. Then bring baskets, placing them at the feet of elders and again differed on kelyam, taking with him a small supply of biscuits, dates, water and palm branches.
The story about Saint Gerasimos such a story. One day he walked through the desert and met a lion. Leo limping because splinter in his paw, it was swollen and the wound was full of pus. It showed the Reverend sore paw and looked plaintively at him as if asking for help.
The old man sat down, pulled out of the clutches of barbed wire, wound cleansed of pus and bandaged. The beast did not run away, but stayed with a hermit and has since gone after him everywhere, like a student, so that the Rev. admired his prudence. The elder gave the lion bread and porridge, and he ate.
The monastery was a donkey, which drove the water from the Jordan, and the elder told the lion to his mouth in a river. Once a lion is far away from the donkey, went in the sun and fell asleep. At that time, was driving past a merchant caravan camels. He saw a donkey grazing unattended, and led him away. Leo woke up and did not find his ass with a sad, sad kind of went to the elder. Rev. Gerasim thought that the lion had eaten the donkey.
- Where is the donkey? - Asked the old man.
Leo stood with bowed head like a man.
- You ate it? - Asked the reverend Gerasim .- Blessed be the Lord, you do not go away, and will work on the monastery instead of a donkey.
At a lion wearing the harness, and he began bringing water to the monastery.
Once in the monastery came to pray, one a warrior. Seeing that the lion is working as a pack animal, he felt sorry for him and gave the monks three gold coins - they bought another donkey and the lion will not go to Jordan for water.
The merchant, who led the ass again soon took place near the monastery. He was carrying wheat into Jerusalem.
After seeing the donkey, walking with camels, a lion found him and ryknuv, rushed to the caravan. People are very scared and ran off, and the lion took the reins in his teeth, as he always did, as he fed the donkey, and took him along with three tied to each other camels in the monastery. Leo was joy and delight loud roar. So they came to the elder. Rev. Gerasim smiled gently and told his brother:
- In vain we cursed the lion, thinking that he had eaten the donkey.
And then the old man gave the lion's name - Jordan.
  
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Posted by 31 minutes
According to another still called "Jerome" (Do not know what Gerasim and Jerome, a name ..)