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St. Nicholas II, last Tsar of Russia

Photograph
Wood icon consisting of photo transfer overlaid with gold leaf and an orange, green and red painted border. The photo depicts Tsar Nicholas II in the Monomakh's Cap crown, which consists of two gold domes with a cross at the top lined with dark fur. Tsar Nicholas is clothed in red and blue robes with gold crusted trim, and he holds a tri-bar Orthodox cross in one hand and a scroll with Cyrillic writing on the other. He is flanked by two Cyrillic captions. The reverse side has a printed label denoting the name of the art piece.

2005.02.008

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

2005.02

Betsy Scheuring

Gift

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

20th Century

Russia

Sticker

Reverse side of icon

Инколай II

Cyrillic alphabet, Russian

Incolai II (Nicolai/ Nicholas II)

Icon

Symbol, Religious

Religious Objects

Ceremonial Objects

Category 08: Communication Objects

2-13/16 in

2-1/2 in

Wunderkammer: Introduction to Curatorial Practices Class Fall 2024 (2025)

Cultural/Historical Context

Nicholas II, last Tsar of Russia, abdicated on March 15, 1917. After he was executed on the night of July 17, 1918, Nicholas remained a prominent figure in Russian Orthodoxy because of a belief that tsars were appointed by God. In 1981, Nicholas II was canonized as a martyr who died because of his faith. The detailed treatment and shading of the figure are Western European in manner, but the photo transfer has been overlaid with gold leaf, which (along with the hand-painted border) reflects earlier icon tradition.

St. Nicholas II, last Tsar of Russia picture number 1