Since ancient times, the icon for a Russian person is the personification of spirituality. Many cases are known in which it was the icon that helped the Russian people in getting rid of troubles. Healing from incurable diseases, ending wars, salvation during fires - everything is within the power of miraculous icon-paintings.
As you know, the first images of the faces of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the saints appeared a very long time ago. Some of them have survived to our time.
The most famous icons of Russia
To date, 30 ancient icons are known. All of them are valuable not only financially, but also historically.
List of the most famous Russian icons:
- Kazan icon of the Mother of God.
- Vladimir icon of the Mother of God.
- Trinity.
- Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God.
- Smolensk Icon of the Blessed Virgin.
- Don Icon of the Mother of God.
- Iberian Icon of the Mother of God.
- Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God.
- The Sign of the Blessed Virgin.
- Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.
- Saint Nicholas.
- Tenderness.
- Icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaysky (Nicholas the Wonderworker).
- Spas Eleazarovsky.
- The seven-shot icon of the Mother of God.
- Blessed Xenia of Petersburg.
- Icon of the Holy Matrona of Moscow.
- Transfiguration of the Lord.
- St. Basil the Blessed.
- St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky.
- The Savior Not Made by Hands.
- Seraphim of Sarov.
- The Savior is in strength.
- Hodegetria Mother of God.
- Pochaev Mother of God.
- The icon of Peter and Paul.
- Icon of Seraphim of Sarov.
- Spas Golden Robe.
- Ustyug Annunciation.
- Bogolyubskaya Mother of God.
The listed icons are historically important objects. All of them are saved and available for viewing. Many of them are in state museums and galleries.
Icon of Our Lady of Vladimir
One of the most famous ancient icons is the image of the Vladimir Mother of God. There is a legend that says that the associate of the Apostle Paul Luke became the author of the icon. The date of writing is attributed to the 5th century. Unfortunately, there is no direct evidence that the image was written by the hand of the evangelist.
Presumably, the icon was brought to Russia in 1131. It was a gift to the Russian prince from Constantinople from Patriarch Luke. In Russia, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God has come a long way and traveled to different parts of the country.
At first she received the name of the Vyshgorod Mother of God. This is due to its original location. The icon has been in the Bogorodnichesky Monastery, which is located in Vyshgorod near Kyiv, for more than twenty years. In 1155, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky transferred the antique icon to Vladimir. In this regard, the image began to bear the name of the Vladimir Mother of God. Various civil strife and wars did not bypass the icon.
The Mother of God of Vladimir was transported to Moscow in 1395. After that, it was transported several times, but in the end, in 1480, it was returned to the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. She remained there until 1918. After the restoration, the icon was for some time in the State Historical Museum. Later in the Tretyakov Gallery. Today, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God can be seen in the church of St. Nicholas. The temple does not function for its intended purpose. This is museum. It is located at the State Tretyakov Gallery.
The Mother of God of Vladimir is one of the most expensive icons in Russia.
List of the most valuable icons of Russia
In addition to the famous icons that are in various museums and available for public viewing, there are other ancient icons. They are put up at auctions and have a fairly high cost. To date, you can purchase the following icon images:
- Icon with lamp "George the Victorious", 8.600.000 rubles.
- Temple icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, 8.400.000 rubles.
- The icon "Rejoices in you", 8.000.000 rubles.
- Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, 3.200.000 rubles.
- The icon-painting image of Dmitry Solunsky, 3.200.000rubles.
- The icon of Vladimir with life, 3.200.000 rubles.
- Icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 3.100.000 rubles.
- Seven arrow icon, 3.100.000 rubles.
- The icon with the life of George the Victorious, 2.900.000 rubles.
- Four-part icon, 2.250.000 rubles.
- Kazan icon, 2.100.000 rubles, etc.
Actually, this list is quite large. Only a part of the most expensive icons are considered here. All of them are up for sale. Real connoisseurs of iconography - collectors - are buying up such images.
It's hard to say which icon is the most expensive in the world and how much it costs today. So, one of the most valuable Orthodox icons is the image "St. George with life." It is stored in the Ukrainian National Art Museum, which is located in the city of Kyiv. The approximate cost of this work of art is 2 million dollars. Certainly "Saint George with life" is one of the most expensive icons in the world. But perhaps there are more valuable icons.
Criteria for evaluating antique images
Antique is an old thing that has a high market value. An entire team of specialists with extensive experience in this field often works on the assessment of antique icons. If a person is the owner of an old icon painting, he just needs to know the market value of this item. Otherwise, when selling the icon, the owner will receive a relatively smaller amount. How to determine the age of an icon?This question interests many collectors. After all, this aspect plays a decisive role in determining the cost.
Market value depends on several important factors:
- time of writing, i.e. age;
- image author;
- presence or absence of salary and precious stones;
- size;
- the presence of marks on the back of the product;
- exterior state;
- is the product subject to restoration.
Salaries were often used to decorate ancient icons. More valuable are icons in a gold setting. Less often you can find images with precious stones. Icons in a silver frame also have a rather high cost. There are times when a precious salary is more expensive than the iconic image itself.
In addition to all the above criteria, the cost is affected by the plot of the image and miraculous properties.
The artistic value of the icon
Do not confuse the concepts of "artistic value" and "market value". Some people, when trying to find out the price of an icon, turn to Internet forums, send photos. The fact is that no specialist can determine the authenticity and value of an image without looking at it with their own eyes. Many turn to churches and museums for help. Employees of these organizations will also not be able to help with the assessment. They will talk about the possible author, the plot of the image, the technique and style of writing. The artistic value of an icon lies in its perception as an object of art, and not an antique object. Museum employeewill determine the cost of such an image as a painting. Of course, these parameters can affect the price, but only if they are of interest to the buyer.
Authenticity of the icon painting
Before estimating the cost of an icon, it is necessary to determine its authenticity. An ordinary fake will be distinguished by any specialist. But to determine a high-quality copy, an examination will be required. People have long learned to write antique images, taking certain techniques. The most difficult thing is to determine the authenticity, when the old icon is completed by the hand of a younger master. In this case, an examination is carried out in the laboratory, using special equipment. They study the basis of the icon, the soil, possible interventions.
Features of vintage paints
An important factor is the study of colors. Antiquarian icons of the 6th century, which have come down to our time, are painted with paints based on beeswax. In Russia, masters used tempera. This is an egg yolk paint. Such iconography can be distinguished with the naked eye. Unlike oil paintings, tempera is more strict and sketchy.
Icon base
Wood has long been considered the best material for icon painting. In Ancient Russia, masters used linden. The boards of this tree were considered the best foundation. Much less often you can find bases made of alder, spruce or cypress. Boards intended for icon painting are carefullydried and sealed with glue. Knots and bumps were removed to avoid drying. The most expensive icons have an ax-cut base. Their surface is uneven. Icons painted on wood are valued much higher than on any other basis.
Starting from the 19th century, iconographic images began to be mass-produced. Factories and plants appeared. They began to use cheaper material for icon painting - thin tin sheets. On such icons, a factory mark was placed on the back. Almost every Russian family has such images. Therefore, they have a lower antique value.
Authorization
In ancient times, masters in the field of iconography were called isographers. It was believed that these people received their gift from God. They are chosen and worthy of their title. Until the beginning of the 18th century, iconographers did not leave their signatures on icon-painting images. It was believed that they are the intermediaries of the Lord on earth. And it is the Lord who creates unique images with their hands.
Despite this circumstance, the names of several outstanding icon painters have become known to modern mankind. These are Andrei Rublev, Theophanes the Greek, Gregory, Dionysius, Alipiy, etc. The most expensive icons belong to the brush of these icon painters. The images of these isographs are unique and unrepeatable. They are kept in state museums and galleries. Anyone can see them. Moreover, according to the surviving chronicles, the Byzantine artist Theophanes the Greek painted several Russian churches. Existsmany icons of other, unknown authors. They are no less valuable.
Basically, experts determine authorship by technique and style of writing. Many icon painters signed the names of the icons or the name of the saint depicted on them. This factor plays a huge role in determining the author of the work.
The creators of the most expensive icons in the world have long been known to mankind. The cost of an antique image directly depends on the fame of the icon painter.
Reasons why you should buy an icon prayed for centuries
Today, factory icon paintings can be bought at almost every step: church shops, specialized stores, various exhibitions. Moreover, in many cities you can order an individual production of an icon. Masters will take into account all the requirements: size, plot, writing technique, style, etc. But still, it is important for a believer to say a prayer in front of an old icon.
The Christian Church says that the icon is a conductor of human prayers. An ancient icon, which has existed for many centuries, is a subject of worship. Many generations of people offered their prayers to her. Many ancient icons are taken to different parts of Russia so that people can venerate them and pray for the most sacred.
The miraculous properties of antique icons are also an important factor. Most of these images are in temples or museums. But there are many icons that have miraculous properties that are not known to the whole world.
These facts speak of the spiritual side of iconographyimage. But there is another side - it is artistic value. Many people seek to acquire an antique icon for this very reason. After all, each image is unique. It is written in a single copy. The soul is invested in it.
How to sell an icon?
Any believing Christian, if necessary, to sell an old icon begins to be tormented by doubts. In this matter, the Orthodox priest will help. The Church does not put a ban on the sale of icon-paintings. This action is not a sin.
If a person is deeply unbelieving, then the question is only in the presence of the buyer. For a profitable sale, it is better to contact trusted antique stores. It is unlikely that you will be able to find a buyer on your own. Not every collector will want to deal with an unverified seller.
From all of the above, we can conclude that an antique icon is a special thing. It not only carries a deep spiritual meaning, but also has a high market value. A person who owns such a work of art must decide for himself whether to sell the icon or leave it at home and pass it on from generation to generation as a family heirloom.
Fortunately, there are more than 30 of the most expensive icons known today in the Russian Federation.
