This late 19th-century Russian icon depicts Saint Nicholas of Myra, the wonderworker, flanked by images of Jesus Christ and Mary. He’s shown in half-length, dressed in vestments and holding the gospels in his left hand. 

Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century Greek bishop who was credited with numerous miracles and the giving of gifts. As such, over the centuries, his story was adapted to become the basis of ‘Sinterklaas’, or Santa Claus.

According to legend, on one occasion, he discovered an impoverished peasant who, in desperation, sought to sell his daughters into slavery. Shocked by this, during the night, Nicholas climbed atop the peasant’s home and dropped three bags of gold surreptitiously down the chimney. The sisters had hung their stockings to dry by the fire and, in the morning, found them brimming with salvation. He was also known to place coins in the shoes of those who left them outside.

In 1087, his relics were taken to Italy from Myra and tales of his compassionate philanthropy spread throughout Europe. In turn, this led to commercialisation - particularly in the Netherlands where 'Sinterklaas' impersonators, dressed in red bishop’s robes, began to sell toys at specialised markets. This idea of gift-giving in the Saint’s name ultimately evolved into St Nicholas’s Day on the 6th of December. A celebratory occasion whereby children would awaken to a feast of secret presents.

The design of the icon itself follows the conventional Byzantine style and the Saint is rendered as per the description in the ‘Painter’s Manual’ by monk Dionysios of Fourna in the 18th century.

A comparable icon was offered at Sotheby’s, New York, in 2015.

Medium: Tempera with gilding on wood
Overall size: 12” x 14” / 30cm x 36cm
Year of creation: c. 1880
Provenance: Private collection, Russia / Private collection, UK.
Condition: Fine craquelure in areas. The paint layer is stable. Losses. Age-related darkening. Various handling marks. 
Our reference: BRV2024