Visiting a Saint Nicholas Icon of Glenstal Abbey

Here is another Saint Nicholas icon from Glenstal Abbey. 

Visiting the Icons of Glenstal Abbey #25 - Saint Nicholas, 4.50 minutes

Transcript

Welcome to Glenstal Abbey. This icon of Saint Nicholas dates from the beginning of the 19th century and is of the [Velikly Novgorodian] type.

Saint Nicholas was and is very popular, especially among Orthodox Christians. While the Virgin is the patron saint for women, Nicholas is the patron saint for men. He is also revered as a great miracle worker.

Nicholas was, according to legend, a fourth century bishop in Myra in Asia Minor. His cultic devotion is popular in both east and west. He is also patron to mariners, merchants, repentant thieves, children, and many other groups.

In this icon Nicholas is before the viewer giving his blessing with his right hand and holding the Gospel Book open with his left hand. He is depicted as an old man with grayish white hair and a short beard. The hair and beard largely occlude his ears and mouth and his nose is pinched.

Viewers are drawn to the deep-set eyes beneath the high forehead, signifying wisdom. The eyes are turned a little to the right and do not face the viewers.

There is another icon type known as Nicholas the Turner, where his head is turned to the left and his eyes to the right while wearing a cross facial expression. The Turner icon type is understood as warding off evil.

Here the eyes are only slightly to the right and the facial features are serene.

Nicholas engages viewers, draws them into his compassionate gaze and invites them to rest there in prayerful contemplation.

Nicholas is shown wearing his episcopal vestments including the omophorion, the woolen stole with crosses, but here covered with gold leaf making the crosses somewhat difficult to see. The omophorion is equivalent to the pallium worn by archbishops in the west.

Seated in clouds at either side of Nicholas's halo is Christ on his right and the Virgin on his left, [they] were identified by the abbreviations for Jesus Christ and Mother of God which are above each. The Virgin, representing the church, offers Nicholas the omophorian. Christ offers Nicholas the Book of the Gospel. This indicates to viewers the origin of Nicholas's authority and teaching from Christ and the church.

There are 12 panels on either side of the icon containing 13 saints in all, including two bishops and their vestments. On the right the saints probably represent the patron saints of the donor's family. Through the familial patron saints the icon connects with the viewer's family life. This intimacy reminds all viewers that as the scriptures are a place of encounter with the word of God, analogously the icon functions as a place of encounter with God through his saints. For the viewer who prays, let us take a few moments to rest under the gaze of the benevolent Nicholas.

From Glenstal Abbey YouTube.