ICON OF SAINT SIMEON THE STYLITE IN A SILVER AND ENAMEL OKLAD. SEMYON GALKIN RUSSIA, MOSCOW, LATE 19TH - EARLY 20TH CENTURY
The icon of Saint Simeon the Stylite was created in Moscow at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and represents a characteristic synthesis of Academic painting and the refined silversmith tradition of the capital workshops. The saint is depicted in monastic vestments, raising his prayer to God, emphasizing his spiritual feat of ascetic endurance and detachment from the earthly world. In the upper left corner, God the Father is shown bestowing His blessing, reinforcing the theological interpretation of the image as a symbol of uninterrupted communion with the Divine. The background is enriched with architectural elements executed in traditional Orthodox stylistics with elements of academic spatial construction.The icon is enclosed in a gilded silver oklad produced by the workshop of Semyon Grigorievich Galkin. The oklad demonstrates a high level of artistic craftsmanship: repoussé work, delicate hand engraving with burin, punchwork, and complex polychrome enamel create a vivid decorative effect. Particular attention is drawn to the saint’s crown, adorned with colored enamel, producing an impression of radiant luminosity. The velvet backing and refined mounting underscore the ceremonial character of the piece.Materials and technique: Wood panel, gesso, egg tempera; silver 84 standard, gilding, enamel, casting, repoussé, piercing, hand engraving with burin, punchwork, polishing, finishing, mounting, velvet.Hallmarks: Maker’s mark “SG” Semyon Grigorievich Galkin; State assay mark “84” with a female head in kokoshnik facing left and initials “IL” Ivan Sergeyevich Lebedkin, Moscow, appointed in 1899.Dimensions: Height: 22 cm; Width: 18 cm.Condition: Good collector’s condition. Traces of gilding preserved, enamel without losses. Painted surface stable, without restoration.Provenance: Private collection.
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