Icons showing the saints reading?

[L. Allen]

Long series of questions! Please just pick one to answer ...

I wonder if people could help me with something that's puzzling me that the moment? I am looking at the way in which the iconography of reading develops, and particularly at the iconography of the Annunciation.

Are there any special details of representations of Christ or the saints reading that hold significance? And when and how did these develop? My partner has found very early images of Christ holding a closed book, and of the evangelists holding open books or scrolls. Is there any significance to the position in which the text is held, and how it is represented?

I also wondered whether saints are ever shown reading a non-Scriptural text - and how could we tell?

I am asking because I am trying to understand how the iconography of reading evolves, and whether it comments on the evolving ways in which we as viewers are meant to think about our own reading. If anyone can think of parallels with Catholic icons, I would be interested in that too.

Hope this isn't too many questions - but I'd also love to know if you have a favorite icon, and if so, which?

[Matthew]

One of my favorite icons the Christ Pantocrator of Sinai. It's a lovely painting, and strikingly realistic for its age. It survived the attacks of the iconoclasts by its location being so remote. One side of Jesus' face is more docile and gentle, the other more judgemental and stern.

In His hand is a book which is closed. In general, a closed book in His hand signifies the end of our current time or our individual lives: a time in which nothing more can be done, and therefore nothing more can be written. An open book indicates that the iconographer is showing Jesus as a teacher and is also literally the word (logos) of God.

Other icons that show scrolls or other books often have legible texts, so we can indeed know whether they are holding scriptual texts. (Hint: they usually are.) Saint John the Baptist, who is traditionally to the right of Christ on an icon screen, might have a scroll that says "Behold the Lamb of God" or "Behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie."

If an icon depicts one of the four gospel writers, usually the beginning words of that gospel will be in the writer's scroll. Saint John the Theologian will often be seen dictating his gospel to a younger (and smaller) person, with the words "In the beginning was the word..." An icon of Saint Matthew would have the geneology of Jesus Christ.

I've seen more recent saints, such as Saint Nectarios, holding a closed book. I'm not sure what this means, although I do know that he was an active writer and teacher. Does anyone know?

[L. Allen]

One of my favorite icons the Christ Pantocrator of Sinai. It's a lovely painting, and strikingly realistic for its age. It survived the attacks of the iconoclasts by its location being so remote. One side of Jesus' face is more docile and gentle, the other more judgemental and stern.

In His hand is a book which is closed. In general, a closed book in His hand signifies the end of our current time or our individual lives: a time in which nothing more can be done, and therefore nothing more can be written. An open book indicates that the iconographer is showing Jesus as a teacher and is also literally the word (logos) of God.

Other icons that show scrolls or other books often have legible texts, so we can indeed know whether they are holding scriptual texts. (Hint: they usually are.) Saint John the Baptist, who is traditionally to the right of Christ on an icon screen, might have a scroll that says "Behold the Lamb of God" or "Behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie."

If an icon depicts one of the four gospel writers, usually the beginning words of that gospel will be in the writer's scroll. Saint John the Theologian will often be seen dictating his gospel to a younger (and smaller) person, with the words "In the beginning was the word..." An icon of Saint Matthew would have the geneology of Jesus Christ.

I've seen more recent saints, such as Saint Nectarios, holding a closed book. I'm not sure what this means, although I do know that he was an active writer and teacher. Does anyone know?

This is fascinating, particularly the significance of the closed/ open book! I am trying to work out how the iconography of books comes to develop and change, but I've not come across this interpretation of the closed book before, although now you explain it, it makes perfect sense. To me, it's interesting to see icons where the book is clearly not held in a position where either the figure in the icon, or the viewer outside, could read it - where the book is half-closed but held out. My partner's icon of Christ is like this. Do you know what that would signify?

[L. Allen]

(I forgot to say - also - thanks!)