40 x 26 in    101.6 x 66.4 cm
Egg Tempera on Wood
Early 13th Century
Holy Monastery of St. Catherine - Sinai

Here we see Christ as Pantokrator - "Ruler of All" holding a gospel in Imperial purple illumintated in gold.  The Gospel reads - "I am the light of the world; the one who follows me would not walk in shadow, but enter the Light of Life".  Christ raises his right hand in blessing.  His robes are blue and Imperial purple, with the tunic hightlighted in gold.  The background is subtle and luminous, in this ikon the halo merges softly with the gilded background.

The face of Christ is well-drawn and the cheeks are brightly colored in red - giving the face an almost sun-burnt appearance.  The nose is full and realistic - overall the image of Christ feels alive and full of energy.

Linear in the style of the 12th century Comnenian period,  the robust coloring and strong modeling have led the experts to place this ikon in in the first years of the 13th century at the very end of the dynasty.

The icon is paired with a Grand Deesis Virgin also to be seen in this site.  Both ikons are believed to have been painted at Sinai.

Photo Credit: Holy Monastery of St. Catherine