Iconographer: Priestmonk Andrei
Date: 20th c. (late)
Heritage:Russian
A very striking contemporary icon, painted
in 1992 by Priest-monk Andrei. Its resides
in the Optina Elders Chapel at the Russian
Holy Trinity Monastery near Jordanville,
New York. This icon shows stylization in
both Russion and Byzantine techniques and
reveals how even today there are very fine
icons still being produced, and now even in
America.
Traditionally there are two positions for
Christ's right hand when giving a blessing:
1)when the fingers form the Greek letters
"IC XC" which is an abbreviation for Jesus
Christ and is the position that Orthodox
priests and bishops give liturgical blessings,
and 2) as is shown in this icon, when the
lower two fingers come together with the thumb
representing the Holy Trinity and the upper two
fingers are together with representing Christ's
two Natures, one upright representing His
Divinity, one bent representing His Humanity.
The Lord holds His gospel to show us the verbal
icon of His Life and His Teachings that we both
venerate in church, and must more importantly
venerate in our life by following His example
to truly live an outward and inward Christian
life.
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