Laura Toledo
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Lot 131W
Icône représentant la Mère de Dieu de Jérusalem, signée, datée et inscrite "Année 1713", peinte par le moine Korniliy Ulanov
Icon of the Jerusalem Mother of God, signed, dated and inscribed '1713 year. Painted by Monk Korniliy Ulanov' (lower right)
Icon of the Jerusalem Mother of God, signed, dated and inscribed '1713 year. Painted by Monk Korniliy Ulanov' (lower right)
Amended
30 – 31 October 2025, 14:00 CET
Paris, Avenue HocheSold for €698,900 inc. premium
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Daria Khristova nee Chernenko
Department Director
Icône représentant la Mère de Dieu de Jérusalem, signée, datée et inscrite "Année 1713", peinte par le moine Korniliy Ulanov
Icon of the Jerusalem Mother of God, signed, dated and inscribed '1713 year. Painted by Monk Korniliy Ulanov' (lower right)
Icon of the Jerusalem Mother of God, signed, dated and inscribed '1713 year. Painted by Monk Korniliy Ulanov' (lower right)
Finely painted in first half of the 18th century silver chased and engraved oklad fitted in folding kiot from first half of the 18th century 43 x 36 cm; in kiot: 65 x 41 x 21cm
Footnotes
Provenance
Private collection, Greece.
In 1709, Kirill Ulanov, a former commissioned icon painter of the Armoury Chamber, left Moscow and took monastic vows under the name Korniliy at the Trinity Krivoezerskaya Hermitage near Yuryevets, where he continued his fruitful work.
Since the beginning of the 18th century, icons that are copies (known as spiski) of the wonder-working image of the Mother of God from the 11th century began to spread throughout Russia. This original icon was initially placed in the local tier of the iconostasis in the Cathedral of St Sophia in Novgorod, and in the mid-16th century it was transferred to the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. In ancient times, this image was referred to as "Korsunsky" (that is, originating from Chersonesus or Korsun), as were other icons from the same period housed in the Cathedral of St Sophia, such as the Saviour in a Golden Robe (now in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin) and The Apostles Peter and Paul (Novgorod Museum).
In 1701 - 1702, the ancient wonder - working icon of the Mother of God in the Assumption Cathedral was restored, presumably by the icon painter of the Armoury Chamber, Kirill Ulanov and adorned with a new precious oklad. During the restoration, an inscription in both Greek and Russian was added to the lower border of the icon, setting out its legendary history. According to this account, the icon was painted by the Holy Apostles in Gethsemane fifteen years after Christ's Ascension. In 453, it was transferred from Jerusalem to the Monastery of the Theotokos of the Life-giving Spring (Pigi) in Constantinople by the Byzantine Emperor Leo I the Great. It was later placed in the Church of the Theotokos in Blachernae, where it remained until the reign of Emperor Leo VI the Wise. In 898, the icon was moved to Chersonesus, the city where the Kievan Prince Vladimir Sviatoslavich was baptised and from there, it was taken by him to Novgorod. It was likely in accordance with this newly elaborated version of the tradition that the 1701 inventory of the Assumption Cathedral first referred to the icon as the Image of the Most Holy Theotokos of Gethsemane. (In 1812, during Napoleon's invasion, the ancient miracle-working icon, along with its precious cover, was stolen from the Assumption Cathedral. In its place, a copy was installed, likely also created by Kirill Ulanov during the restoration of 1701.)
It was this restoration that prompted a renewed wave of veneration of the ancient miracle - working image in the 1710s, during which Kirill Ulanov created several copies, including some for various parish churches in Moscow and for the Trinity Kryvoozerskaya Hermitage, where the royal iconographer later took monastic vows. From this same period, several other copies of the Jerusalem – Gethsemane icon were made by different artists.
In addition to the general features of this iconographic type, the Christ Child seated not on the left, but on the right arm of the Mother of God, turned almost in profile towards Her and addressing His blessing to Her - all these icons share a number of distinctive, easily recognisable traits: the specific positioning of the Child's hands and feet (the left hand holding a scroll rests on His lap beneath the elbow of His blessing right hand and His left foot is slightly raised above the right), the Mother of God's right hand half-covered by the folds of the Child's himation, the green tunic of the Child adorned with exquisite golden patterns, and finally, the lavish and broad gold assist on the Mother of God's maphorion.
All these features are also present in the icon offered for the sale, whose attribution to Kirill (Cornelius) Ulanov is confirmed by an inscription on the lower border, to the right: 1713. Painted by the monk Cornelius Ulanov. Its artistic techniques - bold, sculptural facial features and sharp contrasts of light and shadow in a "lifelike" manner, also align with both the style of the Moscow Armoury Chamber in its later phase and Ulanov's individual manner, known from other signed and dated works.
A copy of the icon, which had acquired renewed veneration following its restoration, could have been commissioned from Ulanov either as a donation to a church or for private devotional use. The latter is suggested by the fact that no later than the mid-18th century, the icon was fitted with a chased silver oklad featuring a halo and adorned with depictions of the four prophets and four evangelists. Likely at the same time, a kiot with folding doors was made, bearing images of the Annunciation in the upper sections and twelve other feast - day scenes. On the interior sides of the doors are depicted eight prophets holding scrolls inscribed with their prophecies and above the case is the composition of the Coronation of the Mother of God.
Saleroom notices
Veuillez noter que l'oklad présente un élément à refixer
Please note that the oklad presents a piece that needs reattaching
