Icon info

John the Precurser the Angel of the desert, with scenes from his life

Iconography:  John the Baptist - the Angel of the desert, Hagiographic Cycles of St. John the Baptist

Date: XVIII century.

Origin: From the church commemorating the Conception of John the Precurser in the village of Troitskiye Tanishcha, Belozersky district, Novogorodskaya region (now the village of Uspenskoye in Kaduyskiy district, Vologodskaya region)

Material: Wood, tempera

Dimensions:  height 109 cm, width 90 cm

John the Precurser is depicted full-length as an Angel of the desert. In his left hand he holds a scroll and a phial with Child Jesus lying in it. The centerpiece is surrounded by 14 scenes from his life. In the center of the upper border of the icon in the quadrant is the half-figure of Christ Pantocrator.

Border scenes:

  1. Angel appeears before Zachariah.
  2. Conception of St. John
  3. Nativity of St. John
  4. The infant John is being led to the wilderness
  5. St. John the Precurser in the wilderness
  6. Synaxis of John the Precurser
  7. John the Precurser convicts tsar Herod
  8. Being put in the dungeon
  9. Herod sends the executioner to decapitate John and give his head to the girl
  10. Salome brings the head of John to Herodias
  11. The feast of Herod and Salome’s dance
  12. Entombment of St. John the Precurser
  13. Finding the head of St. John
  14. Appearance of John the Precurser to the elder monk

Was deposited in 1931.

Restoraton: the Vologda branch of the All-Russian Art Scientific and Restoration Center named after I.E. Grabar, 2003, restorer – Veselov S.B.

Inv. №657/4. © Cherepovets Museum Association.

Bibliography: Куликова О.В. Древние лики Русского Севера. Из музейного собрания икон XIV-XIX веков города Череповца. М., 2009. Кат. № 78 (Илл. 79). 

  • General view
  • Mullion
  • Angel appeears before Zachariah; Conception of St. John
  • Nativity of St. John, The infant John is being led to the wilderness
  • St. John the Precurser in the wilderness, John the Precurser convicts tsar Herod
  • Synaxis of John the Precurser, Being put in the dungeon
  • Tsar Herod sends the executioner to decapitate John and give his head to the girl, The feast of Herod and Salome’s dance
  • Salome brings the head of John to Herodias, Appearance of John the Precurser to the elder
  • Entombment of St. John the Precurser, Finding the head of St. John