Egg Tempera on Wood Panel
Late 12th Century
Holy Monastery of St. Catherine - Sinai

This 12th century Ikon shows the crucifixion of Christ.  On the left stand his mother Mary and on the right stands John, the Evangelist,  Above the cross are two angels lamenting the the suffering of Christ.  Blood streams down from the five wounds of Christ onto the hill of Golgotha.

Surrounding this scene are medallions of various Saints and two Archangels.  In the top center is John the Baptist.  These medallions are specially burnished to create radiant disks of light around the busts of the saints and Archangels which replace painted halos.

At the bottom of the ikon are two crowed female saints, Catherine and Christina,.  The presence of Catherine on the ikon has led to speculation that this ikon was either painted at Sinai or commissoned especially for the monastery.

Photo credit: Alexandra - Michigan - Princeton Expedition to Mt. Sinai

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WORLD OF BYZANTIUM

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