Icon of St Nicholas with 12 Scenes Representing his Life, Russian School, 17th century

Religious icon painting

Purchased, 1943

This icon was purchased by the V&A from the artist Edmund Kapp (1890-1978) for £15 in 1943. In the registered papers, Kapp describes the icon as the ‘great treasure’ of his late wife, the Russian artist Polia Chentoff.

Historical significance: Vita icon painting, or icon painting with narrative scenes surrounding a central image, began in the late twelfth century in Byzantium and the West, but spread quickly to Russia and the Balkans. Saint Nicholas was often chosen as the subject for this type of icon and his interesting life became iconographically established early on. The icon seems to date from the seventeenth century, but was the subject of a major renovation in the eighteenth century. The scenes are labelled in white in the borders of the panel, but most of the inscriptions have been lost beneath the silver frame which was a later addition. The inscriptions are also difficult to read because they are so abbreviated. The frame is hallmarked for Moscow in 1787 and was assayed by the silversmith Andrei Titov, but the date of the icon is surely earlier than the frame by at least a century. In the centre image, Saint Nicholas is shown bust length with a nimbus, holding a bible and wearing the robes of a bishop. His right hand is in the blessing position. Above his shoulders, Christ holds a bible, while the Virgin holds her mantle, or veil of protection. The Feast day for Saint Nicholas is 6 December.

The 12 scenes are as follows:

(Four across the top)

1) The birth of Saint Nicholas.
2) The baptism of Saint Nicholas.
3) The first miracle, healing the woman with the withered arm.
4) Saint Nicholas presented to his first teacher.

(Second row down left and right)

5) Saint Nicholas is ordained a priest.
6) Saint Nicholas is consecrated as the bishop of Myra.

(Third row down left and right)

7) Saint Nicholas appears to the Emperor Constantine in a dream.
8) Saint Nicholas rescues three men from Prison.

(Four across the bottom)

9) Saint Nicholas rescues a man at sea.
10) Saint Nicholas returns a kidnapped child to his parents.
11) Saint Nicholas rescues a shipwrecked man.
12) Saint Nicholas rescues the three daughters of the poor man.

W.2-1943