The Anastasis with Sixteen Festivals of the Church, 19th century

The Anastasis with Sixteen Festivals of the Church, painted wood, 19th century. Illustrated in Richard Hare, ‘The Art and Artists of Russia’.

This icon, which depicts the major Orthodox religious celebrations of the year, is known as a ‘full cycle icon’ or ‘polnitsy/полницы’. It depicts seventeen great feasts and the four evangelists —Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John— in the corners. The central scene shows the Anastasis (known in English as The Harrowing of Hell and in Russian as Voskresenie).