Icons

This early 19th century Greek icon depicts the life and martyrdom of Saint George. It was painted in 1823, in the midst of the Greek war of independence, and surely brought strength and inspiration to those who viewed it. George was a soldier of noble...

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...

This beautiful Byzantine icon depicts Saint Theophylact of Ohrid. Renowned for his writings on Scripture and missionary presence to the Bulgarians in the 11th-12th centuries, he reposed on December 31, 1107, and is commemorated on that day.  This...

The eleusa (tenderness) genre of icons has Christ embracing His Mother tenderly in a gesture of love. Her hand points to her Son in a gesture of humility and deference to Him as God. This 18th century icon includes four patron saints around the...

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 part of the Comnenus mosaic at the Hagia Sophia in...

This historic 11th century icon of the Vision of Saint Romanos commemorates the moving story of this saint’s devotion and gift. Born in the 5th century, this Eastern saint desired to write music for the Church. Serving as a new singer in...

These 20,000 saints were martyred on Christmas Day in the year 303. A great number of Christians were burned alive in a church, and many others were killed in the surrounding area at the decree of Diocletian. They are all commemorated together on...

Jehudiel (also translated as Jegudiel) in the Hebrew language means Glorifier of God. One of the eight traditional archangels, he is depicted holding a golden crown and whip. He is considered to be a patron of leaders and those in positions...

On the 40th day after His Resurrection, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven in His resurrected body. As the eleven Apostles stood on the Mount of Olives at Bethany, they watched Him disappear from view. An angel declared that He would return in 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 icon is a beautiful Byzantine portrayal of the Old Testament Prophet Zephaniah. A contemporary of the Prophet Jeremiah, he lived during the time of King Josiah and was instrumental in helping to eliminate idolatry and prepare Israel for its...

Saint Athanasius was the founder of the first monastic communities on Mount Athos in Greece about the turn of the first millennium. To this day, Athos is the home of some 20 ancient monastic communities, including Saint Athanasius' original community,...

The renowned Russian Saint Juliana of Lazarevo lived in the 16th century. She was faithful as a noblewoman, spouse, mother, and daughter of the Church, modeling how to live a saintly life in the context of family and everyday concerns. She cared for...

This contemporary Byzantine icon of Saint Menas the Wonderworker features the holy Saint opening his hands in the orans gesture of prayer. Christ is mystically depicted within the Saint, as the Lord filled him with His divine life. Saint Menas is one of...

These martyrs were from Iconium in Asia Minor. When her husband died, Julitta was left to raise her three-year-old son Cyricus (or Quriaqos) alone. During the persecutions of Diocletian, they fled to Tarsus, but were arrested in the year 305...

"The Pure Soul" is an extremely rare subject matter, but it is found in Russian iconography during the 16th-18th centuries. It is an instructional icon based on various spiritual texts. The female figure on the left, dressed in royal robes, represents...

This unique historical icon of the Annunciation is from the 10th century Bamberg Psalter. The Archangel Gabriel was sent from God to greet the Virgin, saying, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you! Blessed are you among women!" He told her...

This Bulgarian icon of the Apostle Andrew "the First-Called" was painted in the 19th century. It commemorates the life and ministry of this first-called disciple of Christ who later became one of the Apostles. According to Holy Tradition, after...

This historic icon of the Apostle John the Theologian dates from the 14th century and depicts him holding his Gospel. St. John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and minister of Jesus. He and his brother...

Saint Nicholas was born in the third century in the city of Patara. His wealthy Christian parents died when he was young, and he gave his inheritance to the poor. Devoting himself to the Church, Nicholas was eventually ordained Bishop of Myra...

Saint Boniface lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (286-305). He was the servant of a ranking Roman woman named Aglais, but in truth they were living together in a sinful union. Boniface drank heavily and lived in hedonism, yet he was...

Saint Boniface lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (286-305). He was the servant of a ranking Roman woman named Aglais, but in truth they were living together in a sinful union. Boniface drank heavily and lived in hedonism, yet he was...

Saint Dorotheos was born in Antioch about the year 506 of prominent parents. He was well-educated and worked as a physician. He desired to enter the monastic life, and joined the monastery of Thawatha, where Saints Barsanuphius and John also lived...

Saint Raphael was born in Beirut in 1860. He spent the first decades of his life traveling throughout the Middle East and Russia, gaining knowledge and experience as a clergyman. Father Raphael was called to America and established a parish in...

This unique icon depicts the Saints Peter, Paul, Olga, and Xenia gathered under the glory and grace of their mutual Lord. The anonymous medieval Russian iconographer captured the glory and humility of these renowned female saints with the 1st century...

This fresco from the Slivnichki Monastery in Macedonia is part of a series based on the Akathist Hymn. The scene depicts the Theotokos as the Burning Bush of Moses. In the words of the Akathist Canon, " The great mystery of your childbirth did Moses...

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...

The Theotokos of Kazan has been popular in Russia since the 16th century. The wonderworking original of this icon traveled from Constantinople to Russia in the 13th century. It disappeared when the Tatars overtook Kazan in 1438, and reappeared over a...

The Church has received the tradition of the conception of the Mother of God from the ancient Fathers of the Church. The Virgin Mary was born to her parents about 16 or 17 years before the birth of Christ. Her father Joachim was descended from the...

This historic icon of the Apostle John the Theologian dates from the 15th century. It depicts him holding his Gospel while being overseen by an angelic visitor. St. John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and...

This unique historical Russian icon of the Crucifixion presents all of the drama and glory of Christ’s sacrifice and victory. The anonymous iconographer includes the Theotokos and St. John the Beloved Disciple watching the dying of the Master...

The title of this icon, which is written in Slavonic across the top, comes from the Canon of Holy Saturday: Do not weep for me, Mother, as you see Me entombed: the Son conceived seedlessly in your womb. For I shall arise and be glorified, and I shall...

This 19th century Russian Old Believer icon depicts the Exaltation of the Cross. Commemorating the miraculous discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine, in 326. The great feast is celebrated on September 14 each year, and...

This miracle is recorded by all four of the Evangelists in their Gospels. In the wilderness near Bethsaida, the Lord had compassion on the crowds and miraculously multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed 5000 men, with the women and children besides...

Saint John became archbishop of Alexandria in 608. He fought against heresy throughout his episcopacy, but he is especially remembered for his generosity to the poor. He is also referred to as John the Almsgiver. He reposed in 619, at the age of 64...

Palm Sunday is the celebration of Christ's triumphal entry into the royal city of Jerusalem. Riding on a young donkey, he was met by a massive crowd who publicly hailed Him as king. They waved palm branches and laid their cloaks on the road before Him...

This icon is a beautiful Byzantine portrayal of the Old Testament Prophet Habakkuk. Living between the destruction of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, Habakkuk received visions of the destruction of Jerusalem and the eventual return of a remnant in...

Gideon was appointed by God as one of the Judges of Israel during the Old Testament. His feast is celebrated on September 26, and he is also remembered among the Old Testament righteous on the Sunday of the Forefathers in December.

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...