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67-Russian Icon
Sophia Wisdom of God
19th century
Egg tempera, gold leaf on wood panel
12.25" x 10.25"
James and Tatiana Jackson Collection

he image is essentially a Deisis variant (see icon number 80). It depicts Sophia as a winged angelic figure with flame-red face seated upon a throne within a mandrola. It is an aspect of Christ before the creation, in Eternity: “I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was,” (Proverbs 8:23). Above wisdom is Christ, also within a mandrola. Still higher the heavens are shown like a scroll (Isaiah 34:4; Revelation 6:14), behind which are angels. The table set in the center of the scroll is an altar called the “throne” in iconography, because in an Orthodox church the altar is considered the throne of Christ. At Wisdom’s right hand stands Mary, Mother of God. On the other side of Wisdom is John the Forerunner. He holds a scroll upon which is written, “Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” (Matthew 3:2). The gilt inscription along the top border identifies the subject as Sofyea Premudrost Bozhiya (“Sofia Wisdom of God.”) The overall style of this icon is based on the 16th century manner.
 

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his popular type is based on the Book of Revelation. It depicts Michael as the chief captain of the heavenly armies, crowned and riding upon a red winged horse. A rainbow extends over his head; a lance, a cross and a censer are in one hand; a book (the Gospels) and trumpet are in the other. Michael is shown defeating Satan, who has fallen at the base beside tumbled buildings, inside a swirling abyss. The Archangel Michael is associated both with the Old Testament destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and with the visionary destruction of Sodom in the Apocalypse. At upper right is Christ Immanuel before the Hetimsia, the prepared altar that is also the symbolic throne of Christ. The inscritpion on the right border reads, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.” The inscritpion along the upper margin reads, “The terribly dreadful general of the rule of the heavenly king, the commander and chief Mikhail stands ready to defeat his enemy with weapon held high.” The inscription along the lower margin reads, “When the sea boils and enemies lose their weapons at the end, and the cities are destroyed, their memory shall perish in the uproar.”