The Lord’s Transfiguration: Paintings, Icons, and Frescoes

Natalya Mihailova | 19 August 2014
Mosiac in the apse of the Church of St. Apollinare in Classe. Middle of the sixth century. Ravenna, Italy.

Mosiac in the apse of the Church of St. Apollinare in Classe. Middle of the sixth century. Ravenna, Italy.

Mosiac in the apse of the Church of St. Apollinare in Classe. Middle of the sixth century. Ravenna, Italy.

Mosiac in the apse of the Church of St. Apollinare in Classe. Middle of the sixth century. Ravenna, Italy.

Mosaic in the apse of the Church of St. Apollinare in Classe. Middle of the sixth century. Ravenna, Italy. Fragment.

Mosaic in the apse of the Church of St. Apollinare in Classe. Middle of the sixth century. Ravenna, Italy. Fragment.

Mosaic in the Church of the St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai. Circa 565-566.

Mosaic in the Church of the St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai. Circa 565-566.

 

Miniature from the Chludov Psalter. Circa middle of the ninth century. Moscow.

Miniature from the Chludov Psalter. Circa middle of the ninth century. Moscow.

Diptych with a depiction of the Twelve Feasts. Byzantine. End of the tenth century. Ivory. Fragment.

Diptych with a depiction of the Twelve Feasts. Byzantine. End of the tenth century. Ivory. Fragment.

Fresco from the so-called “Hidden Church.” Unknown date. Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Fresco from the so-called “Hidden Church.” Unknown date. Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Miniature from an Armenian Gospel (Ms 6201. Fol 6). 1038. Matenadaran, Yerevan, Armenia.

Miniature from an Armenian Gospel (Ms 6201. Fol 6). 1038. Matenadaran, Yerevan, Armenia.

Miniature from the Gospel of the Iveron Monastery (Ath. Iver. 1. Fol. 296v). Eleveth century. Mount Athos, Greece.

Miniature from the Gospel of the Iveron Monastery (Ath. Iver. 1. Fol. 296v). Eleveth century. Mount Athos, Greece.

Mosaic from the Dormition Church in Daphne. Circa 1100. Greece.

Mosaic from the Dormition Church in Daphne. Circa 1100. Greece.

Fresco from the so-called “Dark Church” (Karanlik Kilise). Twelfth century. Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Fresco from the so-called “Dark Church” (Karanlik Kilise). Twelfth century. Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey.

Fresco from the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery in Pskov. Circa 1156.

Fresco from the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery in Pskov. Circa 1156.

Icon. First half of the twelfth century.

Icon. First half of the twelfth century.

Triptych icon. Twelfth century. St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai, Egypt. Fragment.

Triptych icon. Twelfth century. St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai, Egypt. Fragment.

Second half of twelfth century. St. Catherine’s Monastery. Sinai, Egypt. Fragment.

Second half of twelfth century. St. Catherine’s Monastery. Sinai, Egypt. Fragment.

Mosaic icon. Byzantine. First half of the twelfth century. Louvre, France.

Mosaic icon. Byzantine. First half of the twelfth century. Louvre, France.

Icon from the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl. Circle of Theophan the Greek. Circa 1403.

Icon from the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Pereslavl. Circle of Theophan the Greek. Circa 1403.

Fresco from the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir. 1408.

Fresco from the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir. 1408.

Icon from the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. Beginning of the fifteenth century. Moscow.

Icon from the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. Beginning of the fifteenth century. Moscow.

Icon by a follower of Andrei Rublev. 1425. Moscow.

Icon by a follower of Andrei Rublev. 1425. Moscow.

Icon from the Dormition Cathedral of the Monastery of St. Cyril of White Lake. Circa 1497. Museum-Reserve of Cyril of White Lake.

Icon from the Dormition Cathedral of the Monastery of St. Cyril of White Lake. Circa 1497. Museum-Reserve of Cyril of White Lake.

Icon from the Dormition Cathedral of the Monastery of St. Cyril of White Lake. Circa 1497. Museum-Reserve of Cyril of White Lake.

Icon from the iconostasis of the Church of the Transfiguration at the St. Cyril of White Lake Monastery. 1595. Museum-Reserve of Cyril of White Lake.

Palekh icon. Middle of the eighteenth century. Palekh.

Palekh icon. Middle of the eighteenth century. Palekh.

Icon. End of the eighteenth to beginning of the nineteenth century. Rybinsk State Museum-Reserve.

Icon. End of the eighteenth to beginning of the nineteenth century. Rybinsk State Museum-Reserve.

Icon from Nizhny-Novgorod. Nineteenth century. Private collection.

Icon from Nizhny-Novgorod. Nineteenth century. Private collection.

Palekh icon. Beginning of the nineteenth century. Palekh.

Palekh icon. Beginning of the nineteenth century. Palekh.

Giovanni Bellini. Transfiguration. Circal 1455. Museo Correr, Venice.

Giovanni Bellini. Transfiguration. Circal 1455. Museo Correr, Venice.

Giovanni Bellini. Transfiguration. Circal 1455. Museo Correr, Venice.

Giovanni Bellini. Transfiguration. Circal 1455. Museo Correr, Venice.

Giovanni Bellini. Transfiguration. Circal 1455. Museo Correr, Venice.

Giovanni Bellini. Transfiguration. Circal 1455. Museo Correr, Venice.

Andrei Ivanov. Transfiguration. Between 1807 and 1809. St. Petersburg.

Andrei Ivanov. Transfiguration. Between 1807 and 1809. St. Petersburg.

Alexander Ivanov. End of 1840 to beginning of 1850. Moscow.

Alexander Ivanov. End of 1840 to beginning of 1850. Moscow.

Since you are here…

…we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong.

Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable.

For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir.

If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life's purpose, family and society.

Related articles
Seeing is Believing: Homily for the…

Seeing is believing.  It is one thing to hear an interesting story or to entertain a…

The Scandal of the Transfiguration

My bishop recently shared the story of a young man whom he taught some years ago.…

“It is Good For Us To…

Sometimes we are on Thabor, and sometimes we find ourselves on Golgotha. Sometimes the presence of…