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St. Joasaph of Belgorod

Painting
Tempera and oil on curved wooden panel bordered in black and floral gold leaf motifs in red, green, blue, white, and purple colors. A Cyrillic caption sits in the bottom center. The gold leaf is repeated in the background of the central image, which shows a man in church robes, rounded crown, and staff. He stands on a circle green rug on tiled floor and wears two pendants: one in a cross shape and one with a red figure.

2005.02.105

Panel

OilTempera

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

2005.02

Betsy Scheuring

Gift

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

circa 1911

Moscow, Russia

Icon

Symbol, Religious

Religious Objects

Ceremonial Objects

Category 08: Communication Objects

17-1/2 in

14 in

1-3/4 in

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Cultural/Historical Context

"St. Joasaph was born in the city of Priluki (in modern Ukraine) on September 8, 1705. He became a monk after studying at the Kiev Academy, was promoted through the ranks of the church, and was eventually ordained as Bishop of Belgorod. During his lifetime, St. Joasaph worked hard to restore churches and monasteries and to reimpose order in the monastic community. He was canonized on September 4, 1911. St. Joasaph appears standing in the traditional pose of a bishop, fully clothed in religious dress. He wears a bishop’s mitre, blue dalmatic with rose-colored flowers, and a pink bishop’s stole lined with gold and decorated with crosses and flowers. Religious accessories also include a round panagia necklace and a hanging crucifix, a cross clutched in the right hand, and an umbrella-like pastoral staff in his left. He stands on the traditional circular rug reserved for a bishop’s use during services. Discoloration of the paint under St. Joasaph suggests that other details were perhaps to be added. The floor tiles are rendered in perspective, and the artistic style generally shows western influence."

St. Joasaph of Belgorod picture number 1