Synopsis of the twelve Apostles
Iconography: Synopsis of the twelve Apostles
Date: XV century. c. 1432
Origin: From the Church of the Twelve Apostles “on Propastekh” in Novgorod.
Material: Wood, tempera
Dimensions: height 136 cm, width 96 cm
A temple icon. In the upper part of the icon is a figure of Jesus Christ in the three-color halo of glory. In the center of the icon are the Apostles Peter and Paul, behind them, in the second row stands the Apostle and Evangelist John. To the left are five figures: in the foreground is Mark the Evangelist, behind him are Luke the Evangelist and the Apostles Thomas, James and Andrew. To the right is Matthew the Evangelist, behind him are the Apostles Simon, Bartholomew and Philip. Notably, the figures include not only the apostles of the twelve disciples of Christ mentioned in the Gospels. Here we can see Luke the Evangelist who was of the Seventy Apostles, and Paul the Apostle and Mark the Evangelists who did not know the Savior in his worldly life. In depicting these figures the icon painter obviously sought to emphasize a special role of the New Testament writers in spreading the Christian teaching.
Inv. № 2822. © Novgorod State United Museum
Bibliography:
Иконы Великого Новгорода XI- начала XVI веков. Авторы проекта Л.В. Нерсесян и С.В.Обух. М. Северный паломник. 2008. №22.
General view
Face. Saint Andrew the Apostle
Face 2. Luke the Evangelist
Face. Matthew the Evangelist