St. Alexander Nevsky
Painting
Tempera mixed with oil on flat wooden panel backed in gold colored silk. The image is bordered in green in addition to geometric gold leaf designs with black and green colors mixed in. The focal image is of a man with brown hair and brown split beard with a halo of green, gold, and orange. He wears a red cape trimmed in brown fur and under that a green tunic with gold and jewel embroidery. A sword hands on his left. His name is indicated in green caption boxes on either side of him.
2005.02.074
Panel
Tempera
Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection
2005.02
Betsy Scheuring
Gift
Gift of Betsy Scheuring
1875 - 1900
St. Petersburg, Russia
10-5/8 in
8-5/16 in
Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)
Cultural/Historical Context
This fine portrait of St. Alexander Nevsky displays the 13th-century military leader’s warrior trappings and honors him for his defense of Russia against the Swedes, Teutonic Knights, and Lithuanians. The softened facial features and lavish accoutrements, rendered with three-dimensional shading, attest to an influence from the West in the realistic attention to detail. Rich colors and an abundant use of gold enhance the overall effect.
