Christ Preaching
ca. 1890
Medium
Gold, enamel, pearls; oil on wood
Dimensions
4 3/4 x 4 1/4 in. (12.1 x 10.8 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold and Platinum|Paintings
Culture
Russian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Estate of Mary Harrison McKee, 1932
Accession Number
32.72
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Christ Preaching," created by an anonymous Russian painter around 1890, is a exquisite miniature masterpiece blending painting and metalwork. Measuring just 4 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches, this devotional object depicts Jesus Christ in the act of teaching, rendered in oil on wood and adorned with gold, enamel, and pearls. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of European Sculpture and Decor Arts, it exemplifies Russian craftsmanship from the late Imperial era. The artwork's hybrid medium highlights the technical virtuosity of Russian artisans, who combined the luminous translucency of ...
About the Artist
Russian Painter
The Russian Painter, an anonymous master active possibly in the 16th century, embodies the profound spiritual tradition of Russian iconography. Little is known about their early life, training, or personal background, as is common for many unattributed works from this era, when artists often labored in workshops without individual recognition. Working in the Russian school tradition, this painter ...