Christ Resurrection Icon

Description

The actual day of the Resurrection remains a mystery, hidden from all eyes. Thus, it finds no representation in iconography. Instead, the "Descent into Hades" icon tells the story, showing Christ freeing souls from the bonds of eternal death. 

Its inspiration comes from the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus, which recounts Christ's journey into the underworld. In Byzantine art, the iconography of the icon reached its final form by the 12th century. It features a balanced composition with Christ at the centre. A radiant circle surrounds the Saviour’s figure. It is a mandorla (meaning "glory" in Greek), showing the divine light He brings into the shadows of Hades. Beneath His feet are the broken gates of Hell, shown in the shape of a cross. 

On either side of Jesus, one finds the forebears and ancient biblical prophets: Adam, Eve, Abel, David, and Solomon. Sometimes, Christ's mandorla looks like a pointy-ended oval. He grasps a cross in one hand while reaching out the other to Adam, who is kneeling. On a fourteenth-century icon from Pskov, Christ extends His right hand to Adam and His left to Eve. The mountains hovering over the figures represent the heavenly realm and stand in stark contrast to the pitch-black abyss of Hades below. 

Towards the 14th century, the icon’s composition became more elaborate, adding angels, the devil lurking in the abyss, and the dead rising from their graves. By the 17th century, Western European influences introduced new elements: the tomb with the stone rolled away, sleeping guards, and Christ rising triumphantly from the grave. 

In ancient Russian iconography, this particular image is known by two names – "The Descent into Hades – The Resurrection of Christ". This duality reflects a deep reverence for the event of the Resurrection itself.

Materials

This icon is painted using the following materials:

• Tempera paints
• Lime, alder, or pine board
• Gesso
• Colored wax
• Gold leaf
• Linseed oil
• Hide glue
• Varnishes (mordant, kauri gum, acryl-styrolic)

Decorations

This icon has a hand-carved rectangular central panel. It is decorated with gold-plating of the halos, the background, the margins, and other elements.

This icon can be additionally adorned with wrought silver, a metal or textile oklad, precious and semiprecious gemstones.

We advise putting this icon in an opening or a non-opening icon case to protect it from humidity fluctuations and dust.

Price & Deadlines

The cost of this icon and the time it will take to make it are negotiable, depending on its size and the complexity of its decorations.