Multi-material and devotional icon with multiple compartments, 19th century

Egg tempera on panel

Height x width: 31 x 26 cm

Conceived to condense the pillars of Orthodox faith and intercession into a single pictorial space, the surface is strictly divided into two main registers. The upper register features a solemn, three-part composition that evokes the structure of a Deesis: on the left stands the hieratic figure of Saint Nicholas of Myra (Nikola Chudotvorets), depicted in formal episcopal vestments and holding the Gospel; in the center is the Mother of God of the Dnieper (Dneprovskaya)—or a related Eleusa (Tenderness) type—in which the Christ Child tenderly clasps the Virgin’s neck; on the right, the triptych concludes with the dramatic figure of Saint John the Baptist (Ioann Predtecha), the Forerunner, who holds a platter containing his own severed head—a symbol of his martyrdom—alongside an unrolled scroll of the Scriptures. The lower register is entirely occupied by a spectacular and densely populated depiction of the Mother of God, "Joy of All Who Sorrow" (Vsekh Skorbyashchikh Radost), as explicitly stated by the calligraphic inscription in Old Church Slavonic along the bottom edge. In the center, set within a radiant mandorla of divine light and crowned by angels, the Virgin appears as a full-length figure in regal attire, cradling the Divine Infant on her left arm. Flanking her on either side are throngs of the faithful—the sick, the crippled, and the destitute—arranged in pyramidal groups. Angelic figures, sent by the Virgin herself, arrive to bring them comfort, bearing unrolled scrolls inscribed with prayers and promises of healing and spiritual relief. On the two outer side margins (kovčeg), the work is further enriched by full-length depictions of patron saints: the Guardian Angel on the left and a martyr or warrior saint on the right. Stylistically, the icon displays an extraordinary, high-level miniaturistic refinement, evident in the master’s ability to handle dozens of micro-figures with a clean and expressive painting technique, enhanced by delicate highlights on the garments and faces.