Saint John the Baptist, the Forerunner

Saint John the Baptist is the greatest of the prophets, as Christ Himself testifies (Matthew 11:9-11), for he was the only one who could point out the Messiah whom others only foresaw from afar. This depiction of Saint John the Baptist is modeled after a 16th^th -century Pskov icon. The monumental figure of the last Prophet stands out sharply against the gold background. Everything about him is imbued with gravity: the gesture of his right hand, characteristic of a preacher, the scepter and phylactery solemnly raised, the heavy folds of his himation, the cloak thrown over his camel hair tunic.
The Forerunner’s face is striking in its austerity: it seems to reflect the essence of the message he must transmit to the people of his time from God, with all its absolute weight: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).