Russian Wood Icon

A tall figure in red stands at the center with arms spread wide, and everyone else seems to have arrived for her.

This Russian icon dates to the 19th century and is titled Presentation of Mary with Coin. It is paint on panel. Icons are generally made as windows for prayer, and their figures follow long-settled conventions of pose and color. Mary stands haloed in a white veil and red robe, with Christ blessing from the clouds above. Angels and groups of figures crowd both sides, and two banners carry Cyrillic lettering. Small round metal discs are fixed across the surface. It is 13 inches wide, 1 deep and 16.5 high.

A great many people, and not one of them overlooked.