Deesis from the Church of Nikola of Kozhe 1300

This Deesis icon, currently held at the Russian Museum, was made with tempera on wood, by Orthodox Icons. The creation of icons like this one was a painstaking process, deeply embedded in spiritual practice. The wooden panel would have been carefully prepared, primed with gesso, and then painted using pigments mixed with egg yolk. Look closely, and you can see the precision of the lines, the subtle gradations of color, and the intricate details of the figures' robes. Gold leaf, applied meticulously, adds a divine shimmer, catching the light and elevating the image beyond the earthly realm. These were not just pictures, but devotional objects. The making of an icon was an act of prayer, infused with theological meaning and intended to facilitate a connection between the viewer and the divine. By attending to the materiality of the icon, and the labor that went into its production, we can more fully understand its enduring power and significance.