The National Museum of Medieval Art of Korça informed the completion of the restoration process of the “Descent into Hell” icon.

The icon painted on a monolithic walnut board was part of the upper register of an iconostasis. It is part of the cycle of Great Holidays and painted with high artistic skills. Most of the surface is worked on gold, thus suffered significant loss of the pictorial layer.

The icon shows Christ who has descended into hell and is shown raising Eve and Adam from the graves. Behind them are seen the prophets of the Old Testament and a crowd of people in the dark abyss of hell. On the other side, John the Baptist, Prophet David and other prophets appear in the icon.

Christ’s foot rests on the Devil’s eye, and He stands triumphantly over the torn gates of hell, defeating death.

/a.p./