This special icon, located at St. Catherine’s Monastery, is one of the oldest surviving icons that we have, dating back to the 6th century. We still possess this icon because the Iconoclasts failed to reach a monastery as remote as that at Mt. Sinai. And it is very good that we have this icon. It is believed that this icon was copied from the Image of Edessa (or Mandylion), a miraculous cloth that bears the image of Christ’s face, given by Christ himself (this image will be discussed in my next article). It represents a decisive shift in the way Christ is portrayed in icons and the beginning of the Pantokrator that we know of today.
In this icon, we see most of the usual elements that are found in the Pantokrator icon. Jesus stands as a powerful figure, with a strong neckline, firm facial features, and broad shoulders. Behind his head is the cruciform halo with the Greek letters that stand for the Hebrew Tetragrammaton, identifying him as God. His left hand holds the New Testament, while his right hand gives us a blessing. Yet there is something distinctly different from this icon than what we would normally expect in other Pantokrator icons. For one, the background is blue instead of the traditional gold, showing that that element of iconography had not yet been introduced. His robes are a deep purple, symbolizing his royalty rather than his divine and human natures. We also see that Christ sits upon a throne, yet another element that is different from other Pantokrator icons.
Yet perhaps the detail most intriguing and captivating is his face. There is a very definite asymmetry between the left and the right halves of his face. The left side is clearly relaxed: his eyebrow and mouth are smooth and his eye relaxed. Even the lighting on his face hints at his relaxation. On the other half, we find the opposite. We see certain parts of his face in shadow, adding a sense of mystery to his face. His brow is furrowed and his lips are pursed. His eye even seems to be concentrating upon the viewer with an intensity that can be startling. It works to form an expression that is unusually severe. What is the purpose of this dual face?
I believe the answer can be found in a famous, yet entirely different form of art done by the ancient Greek artist Polykleitos known as the Doryphoros. The Greeks up to this point had perfected the human form in their sculpture, but had found in wanting in some sense. The portrayal of the human body, while having achieved a great measure of beauty, lacked a way of bringing out the duality of the human being- body and soul. Polykleitos, however, found a way of capturing it by splitting the body in half. The left side of the man is shown as relaxed, his arm is steady and his hand is limp. The head is turned to this side. We are given a sense of stability- the soul and the eternal dimension of man. The right side is shown stepping out into motion, the hand extended as it holds what was a spear, ready for action. We are given a sense of change, of constant motion- the body and temporal dimension of man.
We find something similar to this in the Sinai Pantokrator. This icon shows us Christ on the Day of Judgment. The right side of the icon shows Christ as the Just Judge, his expression stern and mysterious, his hand holding the New Testament, representing the New Law written in our hearts (Jer 31:33) by which we will be judged. It is a rather disconcerting image, meant to turn us inward to examine ourselves and see that we truthfully deserve to see this face at the judgment because of our sins.
Yet there is hope. The left side of the icon shows us our Merciful Savior, his expression serene and calm, his hand giving a blessing, commanding us to be at peace. Interestingly enough, the left side of Jesus’ face matches remarkably well with the Shroud of Turin, which was Jesus’ burial cloth and also an image of the love and mercy that Christ has for us by bearing the Cross and torments of the Passion. This is the face that we should most want to see and so we pray the prayer most loved by Eastern Christians throughout the world:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
The Slave of the Immaculate 