Saint James the Brother of the Lord

The representation was uncovered when at least two layers of overpainting were removed by Photis Zachariou in 1963. Apostle James, portrayed in bust, turns slightly to his left. At his right hand, which projects from the open himation, he holds a rolled scroll – an obvious a reference to his epistles. A miniature bust of Christ holding a chalice and blessing the apostle is portrayed at the upper right part of the composition. This supplementary scene is probably a reference to the tradition according to which James was chosen by Christ himself as the first bishop of Jerusalem. The type of the apostle is common in iconostasis Great Deesis representations and, along with the miniature of Christ, suggests that the icon must be a remnant from an iconostasis series. The treatment of the iconographic theme, the tendency towards the three-dimensional, as well as the strong classical reminiscences, suggest that this icon is attributed to Constantinopolitan circles of the period right after the byzantine recapture of Constantinople under Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus in 1261. This hypothesis is also based on common elements found in certain psalter miniatures of the same period.