Saint Nicholas

Due to the poor condition of the icon and the complete decomposition of the wood, the layer of painting was transferred to canvas in 1957. In the original, the dimensions of the icon would have been different. The icon was much wider, since a part of its right side is now lost. Most of the gold background seems to have also been lost and there are no traces of an inscription preserved. The saint is portrayed half-length, blessing with his right hand and holding a richly adorned book with his left. A particularly characteristic feature of this icon is the intentional asymmetry of the face and head structure of the saint, a feature which must be explained as indicating a slight movement of the head to the left. This impression of movement is achieved by means of fleeting highlights. This “impressionistic” style of modeling is already known from 14th century monuments (Monastery of Chora in Constantinople) and continues in a more intense and expressive fashion in the 15th century.