Lot 0271
Russian Icon of Saint Joasaph of Belgorod, After 1911
Estimate: 1000-1200€
Russian icon of Saint Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod.
Central Russia, after 1911.
Wood, gesso, oil; gilding, painted ornament, applied decorative pastiglia.
Dimensions: 31.2 x 27 x 3 cm.
Inscription: along the lower cartouche: “Св. Iоасафъ Еп. Белгород…”
Saint Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod.
An icon depicting Saint Joasaph of Belgorod in full episcopal vestments, standing frontally within an architectural interior. The saint is shown as a hierarch: in a blue sakkos with floral ornament, omophorion, episcopal mitre and medallion panagia. In his right hand he holds a blessing cross; in his left, a staff with a green veil. In the upper left corner appears Christ Pantocrator in a cloud mandorla, blessing the saint and holding the Gospel.
The border is richly decorated with gilded relief ornament imitating the effect of an enamelled or jewelled frame. Scrolling foliage, dark blue reserves, green and turquoise accents, and rows of small pearl-like beads create a festive ornamental setting.
Saint Joasaph of Belgorod, who died in 1754, was one of the most venerated Russian hierarchs of the eighteenth century. His incorrupt relics and reported miracles formed the basis of a powerful local and national cult, and his official glorification by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1911 led to a broad dissemination of his icons. The present image should therefore be understood in the context of this renewed veneration on the eve of the First World War.
Starting price: 800€
Estimate: 1000-1200€
Hammer Price: €
































