Two Hierarchs

A devotional icon of two Hierarchs, originating from Alaya in Asia Minor. The work is painted on a wooden support in egg tempera and gold, following the traditional Asia Minor style of the late 19th to early 20th century.
The two bishops are shown frontally, wearing episcopal vestments and a white omophorion with crosses. They hold a closed Gospel book and raise the right hand in the familiar gesture of blessing. The gold-embroidered details of the garments and the dark background emphasise the solemnity and ritual character of the depiction.
The icon shows wear to the paint and the frame, characteristic of long-term use and of its transport from the Asia Minor community of Alaya. It is a representative example of local ecclesiastical painting prior to the uprooting of 1922.