There is at least one icon from Mt. Sinai that even people far from the Church know: the famous Christ Pantocrator, one of the most ancient iconographic depictions of Christ, painted in Constantinople in the mid-sixth century and given to the monastery at Mt. Sinai.
What is generally representative of icons from Mt. Sinai?
The art scholar Galina Kolpakova, in one of her books, notes: “In the icons of Sinai there is no canonicity, no dependence on examples. And this is not only because there were no examples. Their spontaneity and individuality came as the result of a sort of clairvoyance; they are witnesses to a strong and living faith that could not be translated onto the plane of a calculated system.”
We offer a few examples of icons from Mt. Sinai for your attention.
Compiled from open sources.
Christ Pantocrator. Encaustic icon from the mid-sixth century
Christ Pantocrator
Christ Pantocrator. Thirteenth century
The Theotokos between Sts. Theodore and George. Sixth century. (There is an interesting visual parallel with the icon of the Ascension: two angels gazing at heaven, but in place of the apostles two of the most famous warrior saints of the East; it is evidentially an icon turned to in prayer during the many raids and sieges of the monastery by Muslims.)
Icons of Mt. Sinai. The Theotokos with Child
Icons of Mt. Sinai. The Theotokos with Child
Icons of Mt. Sinai. The Theotokos with Child
The Theotokos with instruments of the Passion. Sixteenth century
The Theotokos with John the Theologian. Seventeenth century
The Apostle Peter. Seventh century
The Nativity. Seventh century
Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene. Seventh century
The raising of Lazarus. Twelfth century
Icon of the Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus of Antioch
Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus of Antioch. Thirteenth century
The Transfiguration. Twelfth century
Mosaic of the Transfiguration
The Annunciation. Twelfth century
The Annunciation. Twelfth century
The Archangel Michael and the monk Archippos. Twelfth century
The Ladder of John of Sinai. 1612. This shows the influence of Arabic miniatures
Twelfth century
Thirteenth century
Fragment of an icon on which saints whose memories are celebrated in January and February are depicted
The Prophet Malachi. Sixth century
St. Symeon the Stylite. Thirteenth century
St. John of Sinai (of the Ladder). Fifteenth century
The Great-Martyr Catherine. Sixteenth century
Mt. Sinai. Seventeenth century
