Background and Provenance of Icon Painting

[RealAnastasia]

Hello, people:

                       Every time I see "Nicholas and Alexandra"'s movie I keep thinking at the same thing and I ALWAYS forget to post my doubts here.  Now, I finally get time to do it, and I remember the whole issue. It's about Icons and their "order".

                        There is a scene in the movie, when Rasputin is coming from the first time to Tsarskoe Selo, to see Alix, since Alexis was bleeding (1905). He caught the Empress, doing something with the Icons she had over a table. When she know Rasputin was there she said something over the lines of: "...I can't put them in order. Before, I knew all the Saints names, but now I can't remember them. I think the order is important..."

                        Well; this is exactly the problem I have, and the thing I don't understand. Is there and order to put Icons in a table or hanging in the wall? Can't people place them as they wants? For the lines in the movie, it seems clear that some Icons goes first than others, that's it that they have a special order to go along...Or am I saying a great stupidity?

                          RealAnastasia.

                           

[Forum Admin]

There is a special order, it is the same as on the Iconostas.  Christ is highest, then the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist interceding with Christ, this is the Great Deisis.  On either side of them are the attending angels (Seraphim and Cherubim). The next level down are the Apostles, then next are the Saints.  There is a strict heirarchy and order to how they are to be hung. It is not up to the individual to decide where they should be placed according to "taste".

[Janet_W.]

I'm glad you asked that question, RealAnastasia--I, too, had wondered about that scene--and many thanks to FA for providing the answer!

[Forum Admin]

Don't thank me, was just the messenger. Thank Bob 
I had to go ask him the same question myself to get the proper answer. 

[RealAnastasia]

Thank you, FA! You cleared up a question that was keeping out my sleeping time since some time!  My mother was guessing the same thing than me and every time she sees the movie, she asked the same to me...and both always forgets regulary to make research about the issue.

Thank you again!

RealAnastasia.

[gogm]

Does anybody have any information about this particular icon painting?