Saint Nicholas, one of the most favorite saints of the Orthodox Church, is portrayed here in bust form, wearing bishop’s vestments. Around the border of the icon we find ten small discs with portraits of Christ between apostles Peter and Paul on the top, and other saints lower down, in strict hierarchical order, an allusion to the influence of veneration. The halos around the saints’ heads, and the discs themselves, give one the impression that they revolve, painted in a special technique that underscores the idea of the divine Light. The faces all combine a lively expression with a sense of priestly decorum.
