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St. Sergius of Radonezh

Painting
Tempera on curved wooden panel bordered in geometric gold leaf designs. The central image features a man with white hair and beard in olive brown cloak and black and red cross stole. He holds a scroll in one hand.

2005.02.046

Panel

Tempera

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

2005.02

Betsy Scheuring

Gift

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

1904

Moscow, Russia

Stamp

Back of icon

See photo

Cyrillic alphabet, Russian

c. March 18, 1904

14 in

12-1/4 in

Themes of Christian Art Drawn From Local Sources (2021)

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Cultural/Historical Context

St. Sergius was born in Rostov around the year 1321 and died in 1391. He established a hermitage in the forest north of Moscow that later became a monastery, known today as Holy Trinity Lavra. The gorgeous imagery and incredible detail of this icon give it a truly spiritual quality. The style is western-influenced, and the skull and crossbones represented below the cross on the saint’s garment refer to Golgotha or Cavalry, the place of Christ’s Crucifixion.

St. Sergius of Radonezh picture number 1