Four-part icon, 19th century

Egg tempera on panel

Height x width: 35 x 31 cm

into four symmetrical main quadrants—separated by inscriptions in Church Slavonic in dark lettering identifying the individual subjects—with a circular medallion at the exact center serving as a theological focal point, depicting the bust of Christ Pantocrator in the act of blessing. The first quadrant (top left) reproduces the celebrated iconography of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow." The second quadrant (top right) is dominated by the monumental figure of Saint Nicholas of Myra (the Wonderworker), flanked in small roundels by the interceding figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary. The third quadrant (bottom left) unfolds the hagiographic narrative of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist; within a dense, sequential narrative, the scene depicts—on the left—a soldier in the act of severing the Forerunner's head outside the prison walls, and—on the right—the presentation of Saint John's head on a golden platter to Salome before the gates of Herod's palace. The fourth quadrant (bottom right) features the solemn figure of Saint Nikita the Great Martyr, a renowned warrior-saint depicted in a half-length portrait wearing the golden armor of a Roman soldier and the purple mantle of martyrdom, clutching a cross in his right hand. Stylistically, the icon is a fine example of 19th-century miniature-style painting from the workshops of Central Russia. The rigid geometric composition and vibrant color palette—playing on strong contrasts between vermilion garments, green mantles, and extensive gilding in the backgrounds—highlight the descriptive richness of the individual devotional panels.