The Resurrection, Vologda, second half of 17th century

bordered by scenes from the Life of Christ: The Trinity, Annunciation, Nativity, Meeting at the Temple, Baptism, Entry into Jerusalem, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Ascension, Discovery of the Holy Cross, Dormition, Exultation, the central panel with David, Solomon, the Prophet Daniel, John the Baptist, Adam and Eve



 

This icon presents a remarkable Easter composition, including Christ's descent into Hell in the centre, and twelve feast days around the outside. While the Resurrection is portrayed with traditional Orthodox iconography, the Annunciation and Birth of Christ use motifs from Western European engraving. The Procession of the Venerable Wood of the Cross occurs in Russian icon painting from the sixteenth century onward. It shows a fourteenth century Constantinople ceremony relating to a spring, the water and sand of which had healing powers, near the Monastery of the All Merciful Saviour. Akathist cycles contain a similar image, as does a Yaroslavl icon of the first quarter of sixteenth century from the Church of the Saviour (Yaroslavl Khudozhestvenny Muzei).