A MONUMENTAL RUSSIAN ICON OF THE NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN, YAROSLAVL SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY with a detailed architectural background, the scene of the Nativity of the Virgin unfolds around an image of Saint Anna and Saint Joachim holding together the newborn Mary, three handmaidens bearing the symbols of fertility visually connect the image with the one of Saint Anna on a bed with a midwife and a servant preparing a bath for the newborn by her side, with Saint Joachim shown once again in the lower right, capturing the precious moment on paper. Egg tempera, gold leaf and gesso on wood panel with a kovcheg. Two insert splints along the top and the bottom. 86 x 66.6 cm (34 x 26 1/4 in.)