On this day when we keep a special silence, this icon seems to speak profoundly. Details below. Please join us at 7pm for our "in the spirit of agape-seder" tonight, followed by the great vigil of easter, the service of the light.
Title: The Holy Silence (Byzantine-style icon)
Medium: Egg tempera and gold leaf on gessoed board
Size: 11" x 14" x one inch thick
Date Created: 2006
Statement: This type of icon, also known as "The Silence of God," is a symbolic depiction of Christ as an eternally youthful angel - or even, as in this example, a female angel. The image was developed in 18th and 19th century Russia, and is associated with the Prayer of the Heart (the Jesus Prayer = "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, sinner that I am").
The upturned hands are folded in a prayerful gesture of receptive silence, and the gaze turned to the side in contemplation. An 8-pointed star in the halo indicates divinity.
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