Here at Blackburn Museum we hold the largest collection of religious icons outside of London and in 2024 are looking at new ways of displaying and engaging with this collection.
Icons are religious works of art, most commonly a painting on board and highly decorative. They form part of Orthodox Christian worship and are used at home for private prayer. The icons here date from the 1500s to late 1800s and were made in Russia, Greece and Eastern Cypress.
Icons are believed to have protective and healing qualities. Inner meanings are conveyed by symbolism and colours used. Icons show three types of representations – the image of the mother and son, images of Christ and of the Saints. In our collection below there are examples of each kind.
Icon with The Forefather Abel 18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 104.4 x W 41.8 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Virgin of Vladimir late 18th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 22.9 x W 19 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Vsevolod, Grand Prince and Wonder Worker c.1575
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 13 x W 10.2 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
The Amaryld Vernicle 17th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 16.5 x W 8.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Demetrius Vanquishing Tsar Kaloyan 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 26.4 x W 21.7 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Virgin and Child Enthroned 18th C/19th C
Greek School
Tempera on panel
H 47.3 x W 36.8 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Mother of God of the Sign (Virgin Blachernitissa) 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 35.3 x W 30.8 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Archangel Michael 18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 30 x W 25.7 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Mother of God of Unexpected Joy 19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 22.5 x W 17.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Theodosius of Chernigov 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 31 x W 27 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Mother of God Fedorovskaya 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 22 x W 17.8 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Tikhvin Mother of God 18th C/19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 30 x W 25 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Virgin of Vladimir 19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 22.5 x W 17.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with The Virgin of the Unfading Rose 19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 22.6 x W 17 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint John the Baptist the Foreteller late 19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 33.3 x W 26.9 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Nicholas 18th C/19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 22.5 x W 17.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Mother of God Kazanskaya late 18th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 13.1 x W 10.4 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Birth of Saint John the Baptist c.1500
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 48 x W 36.4 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Virgin of Vladimir mid-18th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 32 x W 25.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Feodor of Smolensk and his sons David and Constantine late 18th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 31.5 x W 27.2 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint John the Baptist 18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 31.1 x W 26.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Resurrection and the Anastasis (the Descent into Hell) 18th C/19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 30 x W 23 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Mother of God Kazanskaya 18th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 31.5 x W 27 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Christ Vsederzhitel 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 22.2 x W 17.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Mother of God Bogolubskaya (‘The God Loving’) late 18th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 28.7 x W 23 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Virgin Blachernitissa c.1800
Greek School
Tempera on panel
H 28.6 x W 34.3 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Deesis with Saints early 18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 35.2 x W 30.2 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Archangel Michael c.1800
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 44.5 x W 37.2 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Virgin Hodegetria 17th C
unknown artist
Tempera & gesso on panel
H 19.1 x W 15.6 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Old Testament Trinity (The Hospitality of Abraham) 1768
Greek School
Tempera on panel
H 32.2 x W 22.6 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Seraphim of Sarov 19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 17.6 x W 14.4 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Mother of God, Joy to Those Who Grieve 18th C/19th C
Russian School (probably)
Tempera on panel
H 26.2 x W 21.8 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Paraskeva 18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 26.3 x W 21 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Mother of God Kazanskaya 19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 31 x W 26.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Mother of God of Unexpected Joy 18th C/19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 26.5 x W 22.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saints Peter and Paul as Pillars of the Church with Saints 19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 37.2 x W 30.1 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint George and the Dragon mid-19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 24.5 x W 20.3 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Tikhvin Mother of God 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 30 x W 25 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Christ in Majesty Surrounded by Saints late 17th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 31.1 x W 26.9 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Constantine and Saint Helena with the True Cross late 17th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 31.1 x W 26.9 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Christ Vsederzhitel 18th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 31 x W 26.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Scenes from the Life of Prophet Elijah early 19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 13 x W 10.2 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Theotokos (Mother of God) of the Unburnt Bush 18th C/19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 35.5 x W 31 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Paraskeva 18th C/19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 31 x W 26.2 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Scenes from the Life of Saint Nicholas c.1800
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 31.3 x W 27.7 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Nicholas of Mira late 18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 19.6 x W 17.1 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Nicholas 18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 31.1 x W 26.7 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Nicholas 18th C/19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 13.5 x W 11.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Virgin Blachernitissa 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 17.7 x W 14.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Deesis Icon with Christ Pantocrator mid-18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 27.1 x W 23 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Christ Vsederzhitel 18th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 35 x W 30.3 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Apparition of the Holy Trinity to Saint Sergei of Radonezh 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 31 x W 25.8 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Christ Vsederzhitel 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 30.5 x W 27 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Kykkos Mother of God early 19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 16.5 x W 8.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Nicholas early 18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 31.1 x W 26.9 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Virgin Hodegetria and Four Saints c.1800
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 29.2 x W 36 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with The Crowned Virgin and Infant late 18th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 19.7 x W 15.2 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk 18th C/19th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 31 x W 26.7 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with the Resurrection and Anastasis (Descent into Hell) with 16 Festival Scenes late 17th C
Russian School
Tempera on panel
H 35.2 x W 30.5 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint George and the Dragon late 16th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 74 x W 60 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Icon with Saint Paraskeva Paranitsa early 19th C
unknown artist
Tempera on panel
H 31.8 x W 27.1 cm
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
