Lot Essay
The icon gallery at St. Clement's, Ohrid, holds a number of icons with which we should compare the offered panel. See K. Weitzmann (et al.) The Icon, London, 1982, pp.170-173, for a group of early 14th Century icons that all bear stylistic comparison with the present icon. Also compare with an icon of the Dormition of the Virgin from the Church of St. Nicholas Gerakomia, Ohrid (see Kosta Balabanov, Icons from Macedonia, Belgrade, 1969, No.20).
In recent years two further comparable examples of Macedonian painting have been published: see Y. Petsopoulos, East Christian Art, London, 1987, No.48, pp.58-59 for a larger panel of the Dormition of the Virgin, and an icon of the Incredulity of Thomas offered at Sotheby's, 30 November 1990, lot 431.
This icon represents a link between 14th Century Paleologue paintings and Cretan work of the 15th Century, and should be compared with two early Cretan icons of the Dormition of the Virgin in the Hellenic Institute, Venice; see M.C. Bandera Viani, Museo delle Icone Bizantine e post Bizantine e Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci, Bologna, 1988, Nos. 89 and 90, pp.63-4, and also N. Chatzidakis, From Candia to Venice: Greek Icons in Italy, 15th-16th Centuries, Athens, 1993, No.14, pp.70-71. Originally dated by Chatzidakis to the 16th Century (see Manolis Chatzidakis, Icones de Saint Georges des Grecs et de la Collection de l'Institut, Venice, 1962, Nos.15-16, pls.14-15) they have since been cleaned and reassigned to the late 15th Century.
In recent years two further comparable examples of Macedonian painting have been published: see Y. Petsopoulos, East Christian Art, London, 1987, No.48, pp.58-59 for a larger panel of the Dormition of the Virgin, and an icon of the Incredulity of Thomas offered at Sotheby's, 30 November 1990, lot 431.
This icon represents a link between 14th Century Paleologue paintings and Cretan work of the 15th Century, and should be compared with two early Cretan icons of the Dormition of the Virgin in the Hellenic Institute, Venice; see M.C. Bandera Viani, Museo delle Icone Bizantine e post Bizantine e Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci, Bologna, 1988, Nos. 89 and 90, pp.63-4, and also N. Chatzidakis, From Candia to Venice: Greek Icons in Italy, 15th-16th Centuries, Athens, 1993, No.14, pp.70-71. Originally dated by Chatzidakis to the 16th Century (see Manolis Chatzidakis, Icones de Saint Georges des Grecs et de la Collection de l'Institut, Venice, 1962, Nos.15-16, pls.14-15) they have since been cleaned and reassigned to the late 15th Century.