A Seventeenth Century Russian Crucifix and Icons of Christ and the SaintsAuthor(s): F. V. P.Source: Museum of Fine Arts Bulletin, Vol. 8, No. 45 (Jun., 1910), p. 21Published by: Museum of Fine Arts, BostonStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4423470 .

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MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BULLETIN Vili, 21

3 p:

A Seventeenth Century Russian Crucifix and Icons of Christ and the Saints

BY the gift of Messrs. Chandler & Co., through

Mr. Charles F. Bacon, the Museum has acquired a most interesting and unique collection of Russian crucifixes and icons, the latter consisting of one or more panels which show scenes from the New Testament and representations of local saints.

Icons were originally used in the churches. Later portable crosses, diptychs and polyptychs for

private devotion were introduced and popularly known as

" churches/* Russian art adhered rigidly

to Byzantine traditions for several centuries, but other influences have begun to be felt in Russia, which are shown plainly in some of the later pieces exhibited for the purpose of comparison. In the

Byzantine type the principal persons are usually represented as austere in aspect with emaciated limbs, narrow eyes, and often abnormally rounded skulls. The upraised hand with fingers symbolic- ally divided has much more significance in the Russian Church than the sign of the cross. The letters standing for Jesus Christ and for Mother of God are Greek, but the other in-

scriptions on these 4<

churches "

are in a much con- tracted form of Sclavonic very difficult to decipher. On book covers of the seventeenth century, which have been published in

" Les Tresors d'jlri en

Russie," we find metal medallions with represen-

tarions of some of the subjects in the present col- lection. These icons are, with a few exceptions, of a light bronze-colored metal, with figures in low relief, often worn quite smooth by the lips and hands of generations of owners. The finest exam- ples show remains of dark blue and white enamel on the background.

The crucifix illustrated, the largest and most com- plete in the collection, is .345 cm. high by . 16 cm. wide. It is a cross with double arms and slanting cross-piece near the bottom, the spaces between and below the arms being filled by panels repre- senting ? above, from left to right ? the Presen- tation, Entry into Jerusalem, the Descent into Hades, with the inscription

4< Lord Sabbaoth,**

the Ascension, and Three Angels. A semi-circle of cherubs* heads surround these panels. Below the long arms, at the left, are full-length figures of the two Marys, each with her name above. At the right are St. John, and St. Longinus carrying the spear with which he pierced the side of Christ. The emaciated figure of Christ is clothed in a short drapery knotted at the waist and reaching not quite to the knees. He is nailed to a second cross which follows the outline of the lower part of the larger one, and above the halo around his head are the letters IC and XC, Jesus Christ ; and at the sides,

4< Jesus of Nazareth, King of the

Jews.** In the upper corners of the long arms of the cross are the sun and moon ; and around the lower edge is the inscription,

" The Crucifixion of

Our Lord, Jesus Christ ; we bow before thy cross ; we glorify thy resurrection.** At either side of the figure of Christ is a spear and a rod with sponge attached ; and below his feet, a skull. On the upper part of the cross is God the Father, the Holy Ghost, and floating figures of angels, ? the entire composition being harmonized by the use of a rich dark blue enamel on the background, emphasized in places by white.

A long inscription is carved on the back of the cross beginning :

" Christ, the Savior of the Whole

Universe ; Christ, the Beauty of the Church ; Christ, a Power to the King ; Christ, a Confirmation to the Faithful ; Christ, a Glory to the Angels ; Christ, a Plague to Devils. Said the Lord ? But I suf- fered waiting for your contrition and for you to turn to me from your evils ; for, before my terrible Day of Judgment, I shall have shown you many ways of salvation ; and I have loved you well ; and for your sake I have entered into the flesh,** etc.

In other European art, and in Italian particu- larly, these Biblical scenes are very familiar, but the Russians introduce many Greek saints whose figures and attributes are quite unknown in Western Eu- rope and whose names are difficult to decipher. The semi-circle of cherubs* heads around the upper part of the cross is a Russian variation of a motive found also in Italian art, as in Perugino's Madonna in the

" Assumption

** in the Academy at Florence,

and in many reliefs of the della Robbias and other fifteenth century Italian sculptors. F. V. P.

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