The oldest icon of the Crucifixion of Christ can be found in the Greek Orthodox Saint Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt and reveals the closeness to the Greco-Roman artistic heritage!
This is a very rare and important icon that survived the so-called “dark ages” of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire).
It is the oldest representation of Jesus Christ, with a crown of thorns and the names of the two crucified robbers “Gestas” and “Dimas” are written, known from the New Testament.
As we know, the early Byzantine and post-Byzantine paintings carry on the Hellenistic and Roman tradition and style of wall painting.
The oldest icons preserved in the Saint Catherine collection in the Sinai date back to the 6th century and are directly linked to Egyptian portraits of the wooden dead (Fayum mummy portraits) and are also close to the Greco-Roman heritage, in particular with the frescoes from Pompeii.
The hallmarks of these idealized portraits are the large expressive eyes, elongated nose, small mouth, impressive colors and the greater volume of the figures, which also strongly resemble the Hellenistic naturalistic mosaics.
By Dimosthenis Vasiloudis for L’archéologue.
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