Russian icon from the Old Believers' Workshops, 19th century.

Russian icon from the Old Believers' Workshops, 19th century.
"The Virgin of Burning Bush".
Tempera on panel.
It presents losses in the pictorial layer.
Measurements: 31,5 x 26,5 cm.

The Virgin of the Burning Bush is one of the most complex and symbolic icons of the Marian thematic in the orthodox iconography. It alludes to the homonymous passage of the Old Testament. At the symbolic level it develops different facets of Christian worship related to the appearance of Christ, based on the Old Testament stories. This Old Testament Epiphany was commemorated with the creation of a chapel in honor of the Burning Bush, which was built behind the altar of the Cathedral of the Monastery of St. Catherine, at the foot of Mount Sinai.
The iconography is known from proto-Christian times, when the Praying Virgin, or in some cases the Odigidria, was depicted enclosed in the Burning Bush, together with Moses contemplating her on his knees.
In the middle of the 16th century, coinciding with the rule of Ivan the Terrible, the icon of the Virgin of the Burning Bush changed its appearance, enriched with symbols and allegories. In those times Ancient Rus experienced a significant expansion of the territory towards Siberia, Astrakhan and Kazan. Russia has become the most important Orthodox center in the world. Likewise, the Virgin and the Burning Bush came to be represented half-length, holding the Child Jesus in her arms, within a bicolor eight-point star, which is composed of two rectangles, red, symbol of the Burning Bush, and green, which in some cases can be emerald-green, as in the case of the icon auctioned, symbolizes the growing bush. In the corners of the green rectangle we find the angels, protectors of the Virgin, and on the green clouds rest the elements of nature.
In the corners of the red rectangle are the tetramorphs, and in the red clouds the corresponding evangelists.
In the corners of the icon rest four independent miniatures, alluding to different prophets, which in turn enrich and complete the Epiphany. Variations can be found. In the case of the icon of interest, these are Moses, in the upper left corner, prophet Isaiah, in the upper right corner, Ezekiel, in the lower right corner, and, finally, Jacob's ladder, in the lower left corner.
On the sides there are abundant inscriptions, which accompany the visual iconography, explaining each scene. This interest in explaining biblical scenes by means of inscriptions developed in Moscow around the middle of the 16th century in intellectual ecclesiastical circles and became very popular in the iconography of the Old Believers. Another more obvious symbol, which indicates that this icon belongs to the workshops of the Old Believers, is the blessing with two fingers.