Icons

Saint Dionysius was born in 1547 on the island of Zakynthos. He entered the monastic life at age 21, and became a priest a few years later. Eventually he became Archbishop of the Aegean. Even during his lifetime he was regarded by many as a living...

Saint John (surnamed Mansur, later called Chrysorroas, "the Golden Stream" for his writing) was born in Damascus, Syria, late in the 7th century. (This was soon after the Umayyad dynasty took control of the region from the Eastern Roman Empire.) His...

Maximus was born in the year 580 AD in Constantinople. He was raised as a pious Christian and received a thorough education. He eventually attained a high position in the government of the time, serving as the secretary and counselor of the emperor...

The Mother of God has long been associated with Moses' burning bush, which held God but was not burned up. This icon is a symbolic representation of this idea. The Theotokos is surrounded by ranks of angels and archangels, as well as various biblical...

This icon depicts the Virgin Mary worshiping her Son, Jesus Christ, as he hangs on the Cross. Her hands are crossed in a gesture of worship and prayer. It was painted in Russia in the 19th century, and features the style of the Novgorod School, which...

This historic Russian icon depicts the Archangel Garbiel, the chief liaison between God and man. He is clothed in brilliant orange and purple deacon's vestments, speaking of his mediating role. He holds a reed in his left hand, symbolizing the authority...

This unique icon of the Ascension of Christ is from the 10th century Bamberg Psalter. It is a glorious depiction from chapter 1 of the Acts of the Apostles. The anonymous iconographer represents the glory of this event of the gathered disciples and...

This event is commemorated on August 1 (988) with the feast of the Cross. This icon is brimming with details and scenes from Russia's holy history.

This finely-detailed 16th century icon depicts Christ standing, holding an open Gospel, indicating Christ as the Teacher. A rarity for the Smolensk genre, Christ is standing alone, without any saints. This creates a powerful and intense focus on...

This unique example of Western iconography from the 13th-century Bible moralisée depicts Christ as the Architect of the world, or Geometer.

Saint Mark was born in Constantinople in 1392. He entered the monastic life as a young man, and he became a devoted student of the hesychastic teachings of Saint Gregory Palamas. Hesychasm is an Eastern Orthodox tradition of contemplative prayer, with...

Saint Paisios the Great was an Egyptian monastic father in the 5th century. His feast is celebrated on June 19.

  This unique icon of Theophany is from the 10th century Bamberg Psalter. It is a glorious depiction of the revealing of Christ's Divinity and identity within the Trinitarian Godhead. The anonymous iconographer captures the glory and humility of...

The hodigitria (guide) genre of icons features Christ sitting on the Virgin's lap. Her hands point to her Son in a gesture of humility, guiding the viewer to look to Him. This particular icon is a 13th-century mosaic from Saint Catherine's...

This 19th century Russian lithographic icon depicts All Saints of Mount Athos. The most prominent and famous Athonite monastic saints are visible in the foreground, and the haloes of countless more saints, known and unknown, stretch into the distance...

Saint Athanasius was born to a Christian family in Alexandria in 295. He was ordained the bishop of Alexandria before he reached his thirtieth birthday, and became a leader of the Church even before that.  At the time that Athanasius was...

This 19th century Russian icon features Christ Pantocrator (Almighty) in the center, with the Theotokos Virgin Mary and John the Baptist on either side. These holiest of saints are always nearest to our Lord Jesus, praying for the peace and salvation...

Saint Gregory was born in 329 in Cappadocia. After his studies, he suffered in a shipwreck and feared for his soul, as he was unbaptized. God spared him, and arriving in Athens, he joined his friend Basil the Great. They lived as monastic brothers in...

The first Great Feast of the ecclesiastical year, the Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8) is also the first Great Feast of our salvation. The Mother of God is born to Saint Anna, after a miraculous conception following a lifetime of barrenness.

This icon is a beautiful Byzantine portrayal of the Old Testament Prophet Jonah. Called to prophecy the imminent destruction of the wicked Assyrian empire, Jonah famously disobeyed God and fled across the Mediterranean Sea. After being caught in a...

Saint Aidan was a seventh century Irish missionary who preached in Northumbria in northern England. Centuries after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the impacts of the fall were beginning to fade, and paganism was making a comeback in the British...

Saint Benjamin was born in 1873 in the northwestern Russian Empire with the name of Vasily. At age 20, he graduated from seminary. Two years later, he was ordained a priest-monk with the name of Benjamin. A man of great intellect, he served as a...

Saint George, sometimes called “the Trophy-bearer,” was born in the province of Cappadocia, Asia Minor (Turkey), in the third century and raised as a Christian. About age 20, he joined the Roman army under the emperor Diocletian,...

Saint Gregory served as the 63rd Pope of Rome from 590 to 604. He was known for his writings, especially the Dialogues, and his almsgiving. He initiated the first major missionary effort among the Anglo-Saxons. He made several important contributions to...

Saint Ia Wen was a Chinese Orthodox Christian school teacher. She was martyred at the age of 56 on the night of June 10, 1900. She was among about a dozen Orthodox Christians who were slain while sheltering in the house of their priest, Fr. Mitrophan...

Saint Nino (also spelled Nina or Nune) was born in Cappadocia about the year 280. She was a kinswoman of Saint George. Her parents sold their possessions, moved to Jerusalem, and entered the monastic life, leaving Nino in the care of an old woman who...

The hodigitria (guide) genre of icons features Christ sitting on the Virgin's lap. Her hands point to her Son in a gesture of humility, guiding the viewer to look to Him. This particular icon was painted in Greece about the year 1700.

Inspired by one of the hymns of the Great Compline service, this icon depicts the Mother of God making intercession before her Son on behalf of those who need help, in particular: the cold and naked, the elderly and crippled, those who are traveling,...

This beautiful illuminated manuscript is an incredible example of early Western iconography. It comes from the 9th century "Book of Kells," an illuminated Gospel book produced in Ireland. The iconography depicts the Theotokos and Christ, surrounded by...

This historic Russian icon depicts the Archangel Garbiel, the chief liaison between God and man. He is clothed in green deacon's vestments, speaking of his mediating role. In this icon, his hands are raised in supplication or intercession for the saints...

This historic icon depicts the Burial of Christ. In moving form and vivid color, the anonymous 14th century iconographer records the last embrace of Christ’s body by the Theotokos and the weeping of his disciples before his burial. After the...

Pantocrator, "almighty," is one of the many names of God used in the Bible. It refers to Christ as Sabaoth, "Lord of Hosts," the ruler of all, and the sustainer of the universe. This image of Christ is the most widely-used subject in all of...

This historic Byzantine icon depicts the Archangel’s Michael response to Saints Florus and Laurus’ prayers in aiding them in their work with horses. As patron saints of horses and horsemanship, these saints–who eventually were martyred...

This historic icon commemorates the Miracle of Chonae. It is a faithful copy of the original painted by the faithful monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt, where it resides today. According to Holy Tradition, this miracle occurred in...

This 19th century icon beautifully portrays the nativity in the flesh of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Visible in the icon, from the top, are the Star of Bethlehem (portrayed as the Holy Spirit), the angels, Magi, and a shepherd, Saint Joseph being...

This beautiful historical icon depicts the Theotokos Enthroned holding Christ and sharing a sweet embrace. The anonymous 13th century iconographer includes worshipful angels and ornate decorations.  A high-quality reproduction handcrafted in Legacy...

The Apostle and Evangelist Mark (also called John Mark) is the author of the Gospel of Mark. According to Church tradition, he was the young man who was seized by soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane and fled away naked (Mark 14:51-52). He was a...

  The Apostle Simon the Zealot is traditionally regarded as the bridegroom at the Wedding of Cana, where Christ performed His first miracle. After witnessing this, he became a zealous follower of Christ. After Pentecost, he traveled throughout...

This historic Russian icon depicts a closeup view of the Archangel Gabriel. Arrayed in festal deacon’s vestments, Holy Gabriel acts as the liaison between humans and God throughout Scripture. He offers messages and encouragement to God’s...

  Saint Gabriel was born on March 22, 1684, in Zvierki (Zwierki, Poland). His parents, Peter and Anastasia, maintained their Orthodox faith despite the growth of Uniatism in the region. As a child, Gabriel preferred prayer and solitude rather than...