10. Weep not for Me, Mother

Details

Russian, around 1700
32.1 x 27.2 cms

Provenance:
Private collection, Germany.
Private collection, The Netherlands.

Literature:
‘Russische iconen. De kunst van het verzamelen.’, F. & C. Tóth, Amersfoort, The Netherlands, 2009, p. 35, ill. 22.

Description:
The icon Weep not for Me, Mother shows Christ after the crucifixion, lifted from a sarcophagus.

He is supported and lamented by his mother, the Mother of God. She puts
her head in a tender gesture against her Son’s face. Christ comforts her with the words: Weep not for Me, O Mother, beholding in the sepulchre your Son. This text comes from a hymn, sung in the Orthodox Church on Holy Saturday. With these words Christ anticipates his resurrection, his victory over death.

The composition is linked to the theme ‘Man of Sorrows’, a suffering Christ with wounds and symbols of the Passion. However, in this icon, the instruments of suffering have been omitted, allowing the spiritual dimension to be emphasized.