19th C. Double-Sided Exhibited Russian Icon, St. John. Tempera and oil, silver leaf on wood. This double-sided icon most likely formed the wing of a triptych. On each side, episodes from the life and martyrdom of Saint John are depicted. At the center, John stands as the "angel of the wilderness." He holds a vessel containing the body of Christ (the Eucharist) and a scroll reading "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). John is winged because the word for "messenger" used to describe him in the Greek Bible also means "angel." To the left, his birth is shown with his mother, Saint Elizabeth, reclining while a midwife and attendant prepare to wash the newborn John. His father, Zakharias, watches. The scene to the right depicts the discovery of John's head, one of three such findings recorded in Church tradition. At the top is Lord Sabaoth (God the Father) in the clouds. The reverse side of the icon shows John's beheading by Herod's soldiers and the presentation of his head on a dish to Salome. Size: 19.5 x 16.5 in. Previous Exhibitions: Brevard Museum of Art (Foosaner Art Museum), Melbourne, FL Sept - Nov 1994 Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, FL Nov 1995 - Jan 1996 Hearst Center for the Arts, Cedar Falls, IA Dec 1996 - Jan 1997 Durham Western Heritage Museum, Omaha, NE March - May 1998 Biblical Arts Center, Dallas, TX Dec 1998 Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida, Panama City, FL Dec 1998 - Jan 1999 Gallery at the American Bible Society, New York, NY June - Oct 1999 Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FL Aug 2000 - Jan 2001 Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, MA Feb - May 2001 Loveland Museum and Gallery, Loveland, CO Jan - March 2002 Gallery at the American Bible Society, New York, NY April - June 2002 Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel, MS Oct - Nov 2002 Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden, Winter Park, FL April - June 2004 Hearst Art Gallery as St. Mary’s College, Moraga, CA Nov - Dec 2004 Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden, Winter Park, FL Oct 2013 - April 2014