Visual Analysis Of The Christ Icon

Sarah Power
Visual Art Analysis
Christ, Monastery of Saint Catherine, Egypt
ARHS 1010
March 16, 2018 Many unique and captivating pieces of art emerged from the Byzantine Empire, one of which was the Christ Icon, also known as, Christ Pantocrator, meaning "Christ, sustainer of all". The Christ Icon is located at the Monastery of Saint Catherine in Egypt. The monastery is tucked in the lower mount ranges of Mount Sinai, in the Southern Egyptian Peninsula. The painting was made shortly after the Monistat in the mid-6th century A.D. and was thought to have been a gift to emperor Constantine the fist. The monastery itself has been a place of worship and admiration for well over one thousand years, with the Christ Icon being one if its

The Christ Icon is an encaustic painting. This process of painting uses melted beeswax mixed with color pigment and applied to a wooden slab. Paint brushes and hot metal tools are then used to melt and manipulate the paint into the form desired by the artist. This form of painting was common during the Byzantine Empire, as its rich textured color withstood the elements and created an impressive and unique shine. The gloss finish that many professional painters use today was sparked by emulating the durability, and quality of paintings form this time period. Other famous works form the Byzantine empire, such as St. Peter and of A Woman from Al-Fayum, were made using the melted beeswax technique, and, because of this, process similar qualities as the Christ Icon to this

The eyes and mouth are slanted creating a strange and captivating feel. Art historians over the years have separated the two halves of the Christ Icon, pairing each side with a more symmetrical representation of the other half of the face. This process revealed the duality of Christ which the painter was attempting to capture. On the left side of his face, Christ appears to be an ordinary, youthful man who would not attract any attention when walking through town. On the right side, Christ is a much older and more divine individual who appears to be glowing. This duality represented the belief that Christ is both omnipotent and ordinary. The two halves of the Christ Icon are an impressive demonstration the immense talent of the artist in making divine religious values appear to the viewer thought