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Extremely rare model icon, izvod, Russia, Palekh, 1905
See original version (French)
4
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Extremely rare model icon, izvod, Russia, Palekh, 1905
See original version (French)
Estimate €4,000 - €7,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Extremely rare model icon, izvod, Russia, Palekh, 1905
Workshop of Nikolai Mikhailovich SAFONOV (Palekh 1844 – Moscow 1910), painter Th. Bodalev
Front view of Christ Pantocrator; at the bottom, the four stages of lightening the face
Tempera on panel
Signed and dated in Cyrillic ‘Th. Bodalev 1905, 18 February’ on the right
H_23.5 cm W_17 cm.
The four stages of lightening are accompanied by notes on colours and techniques
- Sankir (underpainting) and outlines
- Plavka (lightening) and vermilion touches
- Silka (white touches and podbivka: a term specific to the Palekh school for applying half-tones to flesh tones)
- Splavka (glykasmos): application of ochre touches and bliki, white highlights
On the right-hand edge, an inscription identifying the master and the workshop
In black ink in Cyrillic: “Th. Bodalev 1905, 18 February”
Nikolai Mikhailovich SAFONOV (Palekh 1844 – Moscow 1910), descended from a line of icon painters, founded his workshop in his hometown of Palekh and established his own school. He was a supplier to the Imperial Court of Russia.
An extremely rare model icon (izvod), Russia, Palekh, 1905.
The workshop of Nikolai Mikhailovich Safonov (Palekh, 1844 – Moscow, 1910).
Artist: F. Bodalev.
Depiction of Christ Pantocrator; the lower section shows four successive stages of the face’s illumination.
Tempera on a wooden panel.
Signed and dated in Cyrillic on the right:
‘F. Bodalev. 18 February 1905’.
Dimensions: 23.5 × 17 cm.
The four stages of lightening are accompanied by explanatory inscriptions regarding the colours and painting technique:
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Sankir (proplasma) and the initial sketching of features
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Plavka (lightening) and cinnabar highlights
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Silka (whitewash outlines) and shading — a technique characteristic of the Palekh school for applying half-tones to the faces;
- Splavka (glykasmos) — the application of ochre highlights and glints using whitewash.
The right-hand panel bears references to the artist and the workshop.
Inscription in black ink in Cyrillic:
‘F. Bodalev. 18 February 1905’.
Nikolai Mikhailovich Safonov (1844–1910), who came from a family of hereditary icon painters, founded his own workshop and school of icon painting in his native Palekh. He was an official supplier to the Imperial Court of Russia.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale
Russian Art and Art from the Orthodox World #3
Auction location
Auction time
09/30/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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