Antique Russian Icon Saint John the Angel of the Desert 19th Century 35x30cm Restored

Russian icon 'St John. Angel of the Desert' hand painted and restored, antique panel from the 19th century.Orthodox icon from Tsarist Russia from the 1800s which depicts Saint John as an 'angel in the flesh' holding in his right hand a plate with his own head, which recalls his martyrdom, and in the other the parchment with the prophecy.He is defined as the 'Precursor' of Christ and the 'watershed' between the world before Christ and the one after.Indeed, St. John prepares the 'path' of Christ by preaching conversion and practicing a baptism of purification and forgiveness.The presence of wings therefore symbolizes John's status as a divine messenger, for in the words of Jesus Christ, 'among those born of women there is none greater than John'.St. John is also called an earthly angel and a heavenly man precisely because of this virtue.John's life in the wilderness was angelic for two reasons. On the one hand, he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ, becoming a herald of God like the angels, hence his name 'Angel of the Desert'. On the other hand, he lived a life of chastity, abstinence and prayer, not caring about material needs, but always looking to Heaven.This beautiful St John icon was made with wood-levkas and hand painted with egg tempera by the master painters of the Golden Ring school of Moscow. It measures 36x30 cm and comes with a certificate of authenticity.