131 - Icon; 17th century.

Icon; 17th century. “Three Holy Hierarchs.” Painting and gilding on wood panel. Measurements: 36 x 31 x 3.5 cm. Depiction of the Three Holy Hierarchs of the Orthodox Church: Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, and Saint John Chrysostom, shown standing in a solemn pose, dressed in their respective episcopal vestments, phelonia, and omophoria, and holding richly decorated Gospels. At the top of the composition, within a sky-blue lunette, Christ the Savior appears holding the Gospel, symbolically completing the scene and underscoring the spiritual authority of the three Church Fathers. The gold background and ornamental decoration, together with the panel painting technique, reflect the customary practices of the Eastern Orthodox iconographic tradition. The Three Holy Hierarchs constitute one of the most important groupings in the Orthodox tradition. Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, and Saint John Chrysostom were bishops and prominent theologians of Eastern Christianity during the 4th and 5th centuries. Their doctrinal importance led them to be regarded collectively as teachers and defenders of the faith, and their joint feast day is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on January 30. The joint depiction of the three saints symbolizes the unity of theological teaching and the tradition of the Church. Chronologically, the piece belongs to the tradition of 17th-century Orthodox iconography, a period marked by significant growth in icon workshops and the consolidation of compositional models that would continue to be used in subsequent centuries.