This icon from the mid-17th century is from the Moscow School. The saints are not depicted frontally, but facing Christ, who sits on an extravagant throne in the clouds accompanied by the heavenly host. They pray intently for those who commissioned the icon, serving as mediators between them and God.
This composition became widely popular in the late 16th and 17th centuries. The exquisite figures, the harmonious color scheme, the finely-crafted gold ornaments and the detail of the split background and foreground all indicate that the artist was close to the group of masters in the tsar’s employ. The passementerie revetment, made in an Old Believer workshop in the 19th century, tactfully complements the painting.