Italy. Around 1700 Canvas, oil Height: 95 cm Length: 139.8 cm
Description Mikhail de Boir (Elizavetin), Baron Skelbo (April 9, 1939 - September 11, 2009) - Russian businessman, collector of icons. The collection includes about 600 icons and, according to the owners, is one of the largest among private icon collections in Russia at the beginning of the 21st century. Here are presented both monuments of the 14th-17th centuries, created during the period of Ancient Rus', and icons of the New Age, 18th - early 20th centuries. The first icon of the collection, as de Boire said, was acquired by him in 1977. In the introductory article to the catalog of his collection, he wrote: “I literally saved many very valuable icons (which are national treasures) from being exported (illegally) abroad. They, like all significant works from my collection, will forever remain in Russia and will be available to all Russians.” By the early 90s there were about 100 boards. In 2007, he bought the collection of collector Abram Glezer, which included another 100 boards. Savva Yamshchikov characterized de Boir as follows: “Never lowering the set bar for the quality and uniqueness of the collected works of icon painting.” Engelina Smirnova, who participated in the preparation of exhibitions of his collection, points out that “you can trace the entire history of Russian icon painting from it.”