Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
St. John the Almsgiver and St. Cyril of Alexandria
(Byzantium and Early Russia)
The inscriptions on these two icons identify the saints portrayed there as Cyril and John, both bishops of Alexandria. The misspelled epithet of Saint Cyril and the crude painting style suggests provincial origin. The pair of thin, narrow panels was probably part of a portable iconostasis (similar to Walters 37.625), where the figures belonged to an extended Deesis. The center of Deesis compositions is always occupied by Christ the Ruler of All, seated on a throne and flanked, in this case on adjoining panels, by the Virgin, John the Baptist, and then other saints, with the holiest figures placed closest to Christ.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1931, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 9/21/1965 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Measurements
H: 14 1/16 x W: 4 1/4 in. (35.7 x 10.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1931
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.1200