Saint Pelagia and Saint John Klimakos, attributed to Vasily Petrovich Vereschagin, 1835-1909, 1879

both Saints depicted standing on top of the hill, Saint Pelagia holding a cross and Saint John with a scroll in his left hand, above and between them is the icon of the Hodigitria Mother of God, held in a gilt-metal and enamel frame decorated with foliate forms in Old Russian style and applied with colourful enamel roundels, the border of the painting decorated with stylised floral motifs

The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, circa 1879-1931
Purchased in Prague by the father of the present owner in 1930s
Thence by descent

 

 

Undated newspaper article, probably Prague, 1930s, illustrated

Painting is in good condition. Some minor damage to painting, painted on metal. We would advise prospective buyers to view the lot.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

After the defeat of Napoleon in 1812, Alexander I signed a manifesto, declaring his intention to build a cathedral in honour of Christ the Saviour "to signify Our gratitude to Divine Providence for saving Russia from the doom that overshadowed Her" and as a memorial to the sacrifices of the Russian people.  This ambitious architectural project took a long time to be completed: construction began only in 1839 under Nicholas I and continued for over forty years, with the cathedral finally consecrated by Alexander I's grandnephew, Alexander III, in 1883.

Some of the best Russian painters, including Ivan Kramskoi, Vasily Surikov and Vasily Vereschagin, worked on the decoration of the interiors of the Cathedral.  Vasily Vereschagin was among the most popular and famous Russian artists of the last quarter of the 19^th century. In his work he addressed the theme of war, in particular exploring Napoleon's invasion of Russia and the role which the war played in the development of 19^th century Russia.   

After the Revolution, the prominent site of the cathedral called out for redevelopment by the Soviets, who planned to replace the church with a monument to socialism, known as the Palace of Soviets.  In 1931, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was dynamited and reduced to rubble.  The interiors were dismantled.  Some elements were re-used in different construction projects; others were sold in Prague in the 1930s, as stated in the newspaper article found in the family archives of the present owner of this icon. 

The icon is accompanied by a copy of the letter of expertise written by Nicholas Okunev (1886-1949) on 18 May 1935.   Professor Okunev was a member of the Kondakov Institute in Prague from 1923, specialising in the history of Byzantine art.  He attributed the painting to Vasily Vereschagin and identified it as having come from the iconastasis of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.