0326 St John The Baptist fragment

Russian.
19th cent. 33x27x3 cms

An oklad [a decorated metal cover] originally covered the image of John the Baptist. Neglect and a harsh climate caused the destruction of the paint and gesso below the cover but, fortunately, not the main image itself. However, the main image of the Saint remains and shows the iconographer’s skill in portraying a sensitive and powerful image of John the Forerunner and his mesage of salvation through repentance.