nataliakoptseva:

Archangel Gabriel Tver first half of the XV century. of Tver deesis collection AI Anisimov.

The State Tretyakov Gallery

(via myaloysius)

caravaggista:

My paper about Aachen, the Dome of the Rock, and Theodulf’s Oratory is turning into a theological paper.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”

And again, the Apocalypse!! What’s happening today?!

(via acheiropoietos)

aleyma:

Byzantine, Gold bracelet, c.650 (source).

(via acheiropoietos)

centuriespast:

Roundel with a Personification of the Moon

Date: ca. 860–890

Culture: Carolingian
The Metropolitan Museum

… vita detestabilis

Nunc obdurat, et tunc curat ludo mentis aciem,

Egestatem, potestatem dissolvit ut glaciem

Sors immanis et inanis, rotatu volubilis…

mediumaevum:

Merry Christmas to all my Orthodox followers celebrating today!

Христoс се роди!

image: St Andrei Rublev, Nativity of Our Lord Christ, 15th century

acheiropoietos:

Icon of the Transfiguration (detail)
Theophanes the Greek, 15th cent. 

the Maestà altarpiece by Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311, tempera and gold on wood, 213 × 396 cm, Museo dell’OPerA Metropolitana del Duomo, Siena

The Maestà of Duccio is an altarpiece composed of many individual paintings commissioned by the city of Siena in 1308 from the artist Duccio di Buoninsegna. The painting was installed in the cathedral of Siena on June 9, 1311. The front panels make up a large enthroned Madonna and Child with 19 saints and 11 angels, and a predella of the Childhood of Christ with prophets. The reverse has the rest of a combined cycle of the Life of the Virgin and Life of Christ in a total of forty-three small scenes; several panels are now dispersed or lost. 

The altarpiece remained in place until 1711, when it was dismantled in order to distribute the pieces between two altars. The five-meter high construction was dismantled and sawn up, and the paintings damaged in the process. Partial restoration took place in 1956. The dismantling also led to pieces going astray, either being sold, or simply unaccounted for. Extant remains of the altarpiece not at Siena are divided among several other museums (among others, the Szépművészeti in Budapest).

(source: wikipedia)

In the month of St Michael…

acheiropoietos:

Archangel Michael 

9th century, from the Hagia Sophia

(via myaloysius)

Anastasis (The Harrowing of Hell), 1310-20, fresco, Church of the Holy Saviour, Chora, Constantinople

In the Anastasis we see Jesus, descended into Hell (Sheol). He tramples the gates of ‘Hell,’ and beneath them lie shattered locks and keys. Darkly visible, Death lies bound and conquered, a captive.  Grabbing them firmly by the wrists, a vigorous Jesus forcefully yanks out Adam & Eve.  Adam is the oldest man in the picture, the patriarch.  Following Adam are old King David (now there’s an expert sinner…can you say Uriah and Bathsheba?  The kids know the story), young King Solomon, and John the Baptist (the ‘Forerunner’), whose long hair gives him away.  Waiting their turn behind Eve is her son Abel (the ‘Protomartyr’) with his shepherd’s crook, and (I’m guessing) Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah and Jeremiah. (source)