Saint Nicholas
Picture
1858 (made)
1858 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
St. Nicholas is the patron saint of Russia, travellers, sailors and children. His image often appeared at the entrance to Russian homes to welcome guests.
The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Title | Saint Nicholas (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Micromosaic and silver-gilt |
| Brief description | Mosaic three quarter length picture of Saint Nicholas. Moscow or St Petersburg, 1858. |
| Physical description | Three quarter length frontal picture of Saint Nicholas as an old man with grey hair wearing a red sakkos with a white omophorion over it. His right hand is held up with three fingers raised in blessing and in his left hand he holds a book and a white cloth. A halo encircles his head and the background is a radiating penumbra in shades of blue. The mosaic is in a silver-gilt frame. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | The silver gilt frame has the city mark of Moscow or St Petersburg, the Imperial Warrant mark of the goldsmith's firm of Sazikov and the date mark for 1858 |
| Gallery label | 4. Russian plaque with St Nicholas, about 1858
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.219:1-2008(16/11/2016) |
| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: A.R. Broomer Ltd., New York, 1995. Historical significance: St. Nicholas is the Patron Saint of Russia, of travellers, sailors and children, and is the figure on whom Father Christmas is based. His icon was often found near the entry of the Russian home, to welcome guests. |
| Production | Mark on frame of firm of Sazikov, Moscow, 1858. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | St. Nicholas is the patron saint of Russia, travellers, sailors and children. His image often appeared at the entrance to Russian homes to welcome guests. The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today. Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996. |
| Bibliographic reference | Gabriel, Jeanette Hanisee with contributions by Anna Maria Massinelli and essays by Judy Rudoe and Massimo Alfieri. Micromosaics: The Gilbert Collection. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. in association with The Gilbert Collection, 2000. 310 p., ill. Cat. no. 90, p. 158. ISBN 0856675113. |
| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.219:1,2-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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