The artwork titled “The Virgin Holidays. Introduction of the Virgin in Temple. Holy Family.” is a creation by Nicholas Roerich from the year 1907. Executed in oil on wood, this piece is part of the “Perm iconostasis” series and firmly grounds itself in the Byzantine art movement. The genre of the painting is religious, reflecting themes and stories from Christian theology. The artwork resides within the collection of the Perm State Art Gallery in Perm, Russia.
The artwork presents a scene imbued with religious symbolism and significance. It appears to depict figures that are integral to Christian iconography, likely members of the Holy Family, with halos indicating their sacred status. The figures are rendered with a stylized simplicity that echoes the traditions of Byzantine art, characterized by a lack of perspective and a strong emphasis on the spiritual rather than the physical realism. The background is adorned with what appears to be a repetitive pattern, shimmering in a golden hue, further highlighting the sacredness of the scene. This use of gold is typical of Byzantine art, where it was often employed to symbolize divine light and the heavens. The flatness of the forms and the frontal poses of the figures are also reminiscent of icon paintings, designed to evoke a sense of the eternal and the otherworldly. Overall, the artwork conveys a sense of reverence and solemnity, befitting its religious subject matter.
