Assumption of Our Lady

In the center of the icon is the figure of the deceased Mother of God lying on a high couch with her arms crossed on the breast. By the couch stand the apostles and hierarchs; on either side of the couch are torches. Behind the couch is the figure of Jesus Christ holding the soul of the Holy Virgin (depicted as a baby wrapped in greenish-white clothes). Two angels fly down from the top, ready to take up her soul. In the upper part of the icon are the angels ascending the Mother of God’s soul to heavens depicted as a blue semi-circle with golden stars, and the apostles flying in the clouds, escorted by two angels.

Beside the deathbed is a low pedestal with red shoes thereupon.

Behind the deathbed is John the Baptist pressing himself against the bedside. To the left, in the first row, near the bedside stand Peter with a censer, beside him Mark and the young Thomas behind him. In the second row are James and Bartholomew, with their heads inclined to each other; beside them are two hierarchs – St. Hiertheus with a golden hand-censer and Dionysius the Aeropagite. To the left of the deathbed, inclined to the Holy Virgin’s feet, are the Apostle Paul, the Evangelists Luke and Matthew. In the second row stand the Apostle Andrew, slightly leaning forward, James, the Bishop of Jerusalem and the brother of the Lord, the Apostles Simon and the young Thomas. To the left stand Sts. Thomas and James. In the middle row, to the left, is Bartholomew, to the right is Mark, in the bottom row are John the Baptist and Peter. The right group is represented by the apostles Simon (left) and Philip (right). In the middle row stand Sts. Luke and Andrew, in the bottom row are Sts. Paul and Matthew.

Inv. № 30461. © The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

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