Description of the picture:
Saint Nicholas – Unknown artist. XIII-XIV centuries. Wood, tempera. 107.7×79.5
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Nikolai Ugodnik) since ancient times was one of the most revered saints in Russia, patronizing travelers, sailors and children.
An unknown Russian master painted St. Nicholas in episcopal vestments, with a white omophorion and black crosses on it. The saturated red color of the background indicates that the icon was created in the Novgorod, northern icon-painting school. With the left хэнд, the saint supports the Holy Scriptures, the right хэнд is frozen in a blessing gesture. The face of the saint is an example of spiritual strength and Christian chastity. Wide eyes are of particular importance, through them the icon painter shows the holiness of the depicted, his luminosity. Such an emphasis on the eyes creates the effect that it is not the viewer who is looking at the icon, but vice versa."
