Description
This 15th century Russian icon of St. Peter was originally on the top row of an iconostasis, or altar icon screen, from Novgorod. The Deisis represents the Lord with His Holy Saints and Angels supplicating towards Him in these matching icons?J27: Christ Enthroned, with T36: The Theotokos Supplicat-ing; and S150: The Archangel Michael, (all standing on Christ’s right hand), and S133: St. John the Baptist, S120: The Archangel Gabriel, and S160: St. Paul (all standing on Christ’s left). Their hands are outstretched and their heads are bowed towards Christ sitting on the Throne of His Kingdom which will never end.
St. Peter was called by Christ from his fisherman’s nets to become a fisher of men. He was the leader of the 12 Apostles and with SS James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were witnesses of the Transfiguration, apart with Him at Gethsemane, and with Him when He raised up Jairus’ daughter. St. Peter walked on water to come to Christ, but wavered and was saved by Him. Eloquent in his preaching of faith, St. Peter drew many to Christ. He was a martyr in Rome, dying upside down on a cross in a.d. 64.