Christ Made Without Hands (Mandylion) from the collection of Blackfriars Gallery and Library

Christ Made Without Hands (Mandylion), 19th century

Egg tempera on wood

16 x 13 in

Egg tempera with silver gilt. Attributed to a provincial workshop in the central or western regions of the Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine or Belarus).
Inscriptions:

The cruciform halo bears the traditional Church Slavonic inscription "I Am".
Along the lower border appears the abbreviated Church Slavonic inscription: "The Image Not Made by Hands of Our Lord Jesus Christ" (Образ Нерукотворный Господа Нашего Иисуса Христа).

One of the most significant subjects in Christian iconography - “Christ Made Without Hands,” also known as the Mandylion - the image illustrates the tradition of the miraculous imprint of Christ's face upon a cloth, associated in the Orthodox tradition with the King Abgar of Edessa, who sent a servant to obtain a portrait of Christ.

A noteworthy feature of the icon is the face of the left angel supporting the sacred cloth, whose facial features are largely absent, most likely as a result of earlier paint losses. Evidence suggests that a later attempt was made to reconstruct the damaged area.

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From Blackfriars Gallery and Library

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Additional Details

Additional Artworks

Christ Our Paschal Sacrifice, c. 1970

Christus (Christ, Italy), 1917

Chasuble - "In Cruce Salus", c. 1890

Chasuble - "In Cruce Salus", c. 1890

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Christ the King (Gottvater), 1834

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