A MONUMENTAL ICON OF THE PROPHET ELIJAH SURROUNDED WITH SCENES, Northern Russia, 17th century

the Prophet Elijah shown full length, dressed according to tradition in an ochre tunic with a brown mantle lined with fur painted blue, his right hand points to an open scroll in his other hand which reads: I have devoted myself to the Lord, the God of Hosts'(16 Kings I, verse 10); the central image is surrounded by fourteen scenes from the life of the prophet, separated by a decorative double red border embellished at the corners with white ornamental motifs against a blue background 

S. Morsink e. al. The Power of Icons, Ghent 2006, No. 36.

The background and border have been stripped to the gesso. Several retouchings all over the painting. The text on the scroll has been repainted and the central image of Elijah has been partially repainted. We would advise prospective buyers to view.
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The scenes can be identified as follows (from left to right and from top to bottom):        

1. The birth of Elijah, after which two angels swaddle him in cloth and feed him with fire.
2. Savvas, Elijah's father, tells about the miraculous birth of his son.
3. Elijah visits King Ahab and prophesies that a long period of drought will come.
4. Elijah stays in the desert and speaks to God.
5. A raven feeds Elijah near the brook Cherith.
6. Yahweh appears to Elijah in the desert.
7. Elijah brings back to life the son of the widow of Zarephath.
8. Elijah challenges Ahab.
9. The prophets of Baal call in vain upon their god to try to kindle wood for a bull sacrifice.
10. Elijah calls upon his God Yahweh, after which the wood immediately bursts into flames.
11. Elijah kills the prophets of Baal.
12. Elijah flees to the desert.
13. Elijah speaks to Elishah while ploughing.
14. The Fiery Ascent of Elijah.

The prophet Elijah lived in the 9th century BC at the time of King Ahab. His name derives from the Hebrew Elijahu (My God is Yahweh). Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and had a reputation for performing miracles. He gathered several disciples around him, the most famous of whom became the prophet Elishah later on. After Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire, it was popular belief that he had not died but travelled between heaven and earth to assist and offer help in emergencies. This is the reason why a few onlookers at the Crucifixion of Christ mistakenly believed: ' He called Elijah'  (Matthew 27, 47). 

The icon is painted in bright colours and in a powerful, expressive style. Ochre tints, red, blue and green dominate the palette. The specific style of painting points out the icon was painted in the north of Russia where Elijah was extremely popular. The icon's large size suggests that in all probability it originally functioned as the titular icon in a church dedicated to Elijah. In that function it would have been placed in the so-called local tier (the bottom tier) of the iconostasis.