This icon is a typical example of the 15th-century Cretan-Venetian school that grew from the tradition of Byzantine court painting. This painting from the Matsukata Collection, along with the Death of the Virgin today in the Galleria Sabauda in Turin, is considered one of Ritzos' best large-scale icons. Very little inpainting has occurred in the centuries since its creation, and thus the work fully conveys Ritzos' considerable ability as a veteran icon painter. The painting shows the Ascension of Christ in the center with the "Hetoimasia," or empty throne that symbolizes God, above it. Ritzos has placed the Feast of Abraham at the top of the composition as the symbol of the Holy Trinity. Standing portraits of six saints are shown, three on the right (St. John the Baptist, St. Nicholas and St. Onuphrius) and three on the left (St. James the Greater, St. Anthony and St. Sebastian) of the central image. Half-length figures of Emperor Constantine, his mother Helen, St. Catherine, and St. Paraskeva appear in the lower section. The Greek signature that reads literally "by the hand of Andreas Ritzos" appears in the lower right, beneath the feet of St. Sebastian. (Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no. 1)

Provenance

K. Matsukata; Horai-Shokusan & Co., Tokyo; deposited in the NMWA, Tokyo, 1960.

Exhibition History

1930

The 3rd exhibition of the Matsukata Coll., Tokyo, 1930 - 1930, cat. no. 98, repr.(as the South-Russian icon after the 17th century)

1960

The Masterpieces of the Ex-Matsukata Collection, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 14 May 1960 - 10 July 1960, cat. no. 143(as the work of the 14th century)

1996

The Crossing Visions: European and Modern Japanese Art from the Collections of The National Museum of Western Art & The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 20 July 1996 - 8 September 1996, cat. no. 72

Bibliography

1960

Catalogue of the National Museum of Western Art. Tokyo, 1960, D-13, repr. (as the Italian work of the 14th century)

1961

Catalogue du Musée National d'Art Occidental, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1961 (Préface and Catalogue Général in Japanese and French), D-13 (as the work of the 14th century)

1974

Koshi, K. Über eine kretische Ikone des 15. Jahrhunderts von Andreas Ritzos im Nationalmuseum für Westliche Kunst in Tokyo. Bulletin Annuel du Musée National d’Art Occidental. No. 7 (1972), 1974 (Japanese text with german summary) , pp. 8-57, fig. 1, 2, 3, 12, 15, 18, 22

1974

Gazette des Beaux- Arts. ser. 6, tome 83, Feb. 1974, "Chronique des Arts", p. 202, no. 695, repr.

1975

Les cent chefs-d'œuvre du Musée National d'Art Occidental. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1975 (Japanese), no. 1, repr.

1975

Bulletin Annuel du Musée National d’Art Occidental, No. 8 (1973), 1975, Nouvelles acquisitions, par Chisaburoh F. Yamada, p. 4. Nouvelles acquisitions (catalogue). pp. 8-9. repr.

1978

Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1978 (Japanese, preface in Japanese and English), no. 1, repr.

1979

The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo: Catalogue of paintings. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1979, no. 242, repr.