The Descent into Hell and the Resurrection

Russian, an 18th Century Icon depicting the Descent into Hell.

Measurement- 31 x 35.5cm

Within the Byzantine canon of painting, the Descent into Hell remained one of the least constant compositions, but after the 16th Century it became more usual to depict this event together with the Resurrection from the grave simultaneously. In Orthodox countries this is the festival icon for Easter and it's always found in the festival tier of an Iconostasis. Depicting Christ's triumph over Death through His descent into hell and his redemption of Man, by His act of raising up Adam and Eve, the narrative elements are based on the Apocryphal gospel of Nicodemus (4th or 5th Century). Nicodemus describes the broken gates of Hell trampled on by Christ and made of brass, which is why they are always painted an orange yellow. The figure of the young shepherd behind Eve, his mother, is Abel, who was the first to encounter death.