John the Theologian

Iconography:  John the Theologian in silence

Date: XVIII century. The second half of the 18th c.

Icon-painter: Fedor Chesnokov

Origin: From the Church of Cosmas and Damian in Murom.

Material: Wood, tempera

Dimensions:  height 31,5 cm, width 27 cm

The icon belongs to a special type of the images of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Baptist “in silence” which was widespread in the Russian iconography from the second half of the 16th century. Its distinctive feature is a gesture of the apostle’s hand holding one or two fingers to his the lips as the symbol of silence. On the icon is the symbol of the Evangelist – the eagle holding an inkstand in his beak. With his left hand the saint holds the Gospel showing the first words of the Gospel of John (“В начале // бе Слова // и Слово // бе Б(о)гу // и Б(о) гъ //бе Слова // сеи бе и // скони с // в[с]я темъ // быша и // безъ него”.) In the right margin of the icon is the full-length figure of St. Pelagia. 


Deposited in the Museum on February 10, 1930 (?). 

  • General view