Lot number 527 - Auction 147
EXTREM SELTENE IKONE 'DIE WEISHEIT HAT SICH EIN HAUS GEBAUT' (GOTTESMUTTER 'DER SIEBEN SÄULEN')

AN EXTREMELY RARE ICON 'WISDOM HAS BUILT HER HOUSE' (THE MOTHER OF GOD OF THE SEVEN PILLARS) Russian, Yaroslavl, circa 1800 Tempera on wood panel with kovcheg. Executed in great detail with gold highlights. Minor areas of retouching. 33.5 x 26.8 cm. This exceptional icon belongs to the rare depictions of the Mother of God under the title "of the Seven Pillars"-a deeply symbolic composition inspired by Old Testament wisdom literature (Proverbs 9:1) and the Book of Revelation (12:1). At its center stands Mary as the Queen of Heaven and the personification of Divine Wisdom, enthroned beneath a canopy supported by seven columns, rich in mystical references. The twelve stars surrounding her crown allude to the Apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel, while Christ, seated in her lap, appears as ruler of the world. Surrounded by angels, prophets, and the emblems of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the icon unfolds a theological panorama rooted in the baroque iconography of Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral. The composition interweaves biblical motifs with Orthodox mysticism, revealing through its rich symbolic language a profound Marian theology. Icons of this type are exceedingly rare and reflect a unique synthesis of liturgical art and spiritual doctrine.