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Oliver SamsingerChrist with the Angry Gaze - After a Russian Icon, 17th C.
$2,138.38
£1,604.18
€1,800
CA$2,960.75
A$3,217.82
CHF 1,724.46
MX$39,070.10
NOK 21,649.55
SEK 20,076.66
DKK 13,712.66
About the Item
Christ with the Angry Gaze (The Savior of the Burning Gaze), after a Russian icon from the mid-17th century
Artist: Oliver Samsinger
Technique: Egg tempera on gesso and wood, with 24-karat gold leaf application.
Dimensions: 49 x 42 x 3 cm.
Support: Wooden panel crafted from ceiling beams approximately 150 years old.
Date: Contemporary.
Description of the Work
This icon portrays one of the most powerful and psychologically profound images in Orthodox iconography: the “Savior of the Burning Gaze.” Inspired by a 17th-century Russian prototype, the work captures the dual nature of Christ as both judge and redeemer. His direct, intense gaze is said to shift according to the viewer's conscience; tradition holds that his expression appears severe to the sinner, yet loving and gentle to the soul at peace.
The artist, Oliver Samsinger, achieves this awe-inspiring presence through an absolute mastery of tempera, modeling the face with subtle transitions that grant it life and an inescapable authority. The background, covered in 24-karat gold leaf, isolates the figure from any earthly context, placing it within the eternal space of the divine.
A Work that Connects with History and Spirit
The choice of a 150-year-old wooden support is no small detail; the material itself is imbued with time, lending the icon a material resonance that complements its spiritual depth. This piece is not a mere copy but a living continuation of the Russian tradition, a bridge between the 17th century and the present. This work is more than a piece of art, is a spiritual object of power, whose gaze has challenged believers for centuries and now, through the hand of a contemporary master, continues its silent, transformative dialogue.
Technique and Materials
The panel is prepared with multiple thin coats of gesso over the antique wood, sanded smooth to receive the drawing and gilding. A layer of bole is then applied, followed by water gilding with 24-karat gold leaf, which is burnished with agate to achieve a radiant, mirror-like surface symbolizing the heavenly realm. The painting is executed in egg tempera—freshly mixed from egg yolk, water, and a touch of vinegar to bind the pigments—applied in numerous translucent layers from dark to light. This method produces exquisite detail and a durable, matte finish. Once cured over several months, the icon is traditionally sealed with an oil-based varnish known as olifa, ensuring both its protection and visual depth.
About the Artist
Oliver Samsinger (Vienna, 1968) is a unique figure in the contemporary art scene: an iconographer who has dedicated over three decades to the rigorous study of specialized techniques. His formative travels to Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and especially his experience on Mount Athos, have provided him with direct knowledge of the original masterpieces, which is reflected in the authenticity of his work. His icons, exhibited in museums and sacred spaces in Vienna and Spain, are contemporary interpretations that keep a thousand-year-old tradition alive with remarkable technical and spiritual fidelity.
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"Christ Pantocrator". After an Icon in the style of the Moscow school (15th century). Somewhat similar to that of Rublev.
Author: Oliver Samsinguer
Egg tempera and gold leaf on gesso and on wood.
Dimensions; (H) 42 x (W) 33.5 x (D) 3.5 cm.
(H) 16.54 x (W) 13.19 x (D) 1.38 in.
This is how the artist sums up the technique used by him to create the icon:
“The aim of these steps is to create a durable painting. The icon is eternal.
The first step is to choose a support, traditionally made of wood, from the center of the trunk to avoid warping it. For this purpose, two hardwood bolts were often used on the back to give the picture panel additional stability.
Often a frame is milled out. Then the image carrier is sanded smooth and now 12 or 14 thin layers of gesso are applied and sanded smooth as well.
Then the preliminary drawing is applied and the drawing board is prepared with a special preparation called bolus. This bolus can be polished to a high gloss. Afterwards, the gold leaf is
"shot" with special brushes. It dries up within a few hours and can now be polished with an agate. Gold leaf is real 24-carat gold .
Now, the actual process of painting begins. Egg tempera is made fresh from egg yolk, water, and a little vinegar. This is used to prepare the color pigments.
Tempera painting is done in numerous layers from dark to light.
When the icon is finished, it is left to dry for a few months and varnished with a special varnish called Olifa made from boiled linseed oil and other ingredients”.
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Tempera and gold leaf on gesso over a wooden board.
Measurements in centimeters: 38 x 29.5 x 3 cm. / In inches: 14.96 x 11.8 x 1.18 "
This is how the artist sums up the technique used by him to create the icon:
“The aim of these steps is to create a durable painting. The icon is eternal.
The first step is to choose a support, traditionally made of wood, from the center of the trunk to avoid warping it. For this purpose, two hardwood bolts were often used on the back to give the picture panel additional stability.
Often a frame is milled out. Then the image carrier is sanded smooth and now 12 or 14 thin layers of gesso are applied and sanded smooth as well.
Then the preliminary drawing is applied and the drawing board is prepared with a special preparation called bolus. This bolus can be polished to a high gloss. Afterwards, the gold leaf is
"shot" with special brushes. It dries up within a few hours and can now be polished with agate. Gold leaf is real 24-carat gold.
Now does the actual process of painting begins. Egg tempera is made fresh from egg yolk, water, and a little vinegar. This is used to prepare the color pigments.
Tempera painting is done in numerous layers from dark to light.
When the icon is finished, it is left to dry for a few months and varnished with a special varnish called Olifa made from boiled linseed oil and other ingredients”.
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This is how the artist sums up the technique used by him to create the icon:
“The aim of these steps is to create a durable painting. The icon is eternal.
The first step is to choose a support, traditionally made of wood, from the center of the trunk to avoid warping it. For this purpose, two hardwood bolts were often used on the back to give the picture panel additional stability.
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