Title: The Holy Silence (Byzantine-style icon)
Medium: Egg tempera and gold leaf on gessoed board
Size: 11″ x 14″ x one inch thick
Date Created: 2006
Statement: This type of icon, also known as “The Silence of God,” is a symbolic depiction of Christ as an eternally youthful angel – or even, as in this example, a female angel. The image was developed in 18th and 19th century Russia, and is associated with the Prayer of the Heart (the Jesus Prayer).
The upturned hands are folded in a prayerful gesture of receptive silence, and the gaze turned to the side in contemplation. An 8-pointed star in the halo indicates divinity.