An encaustic painting from the 6th ( yes, that's 6th ) century, at St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai. The portrayals of St. Peter as looking like this, and of St. Paul as rather thin, bald, and with a longer, slightly pointed beard, were already at least a few hundred years old when this was made. It just about has to be the result of earlier paintings made from life or recent memory.Tuesday, February 20, 2007
St. Peter
An encaustic painting from the 6th ( yes, that's 6th ) century, at St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai. The portrayals of St. Peter as looking like this, and of St. Paul as rather thin, bald, and with a longer, slightly pointed beard, were already at least a few hundred years old when this was made. It just about has to be the result of earlier paintings made from life or recent memory.
Jeffrey,
ReplyDeleteNow that is a significant find!
Amazing how well preserved it is too.
St. Catherine's was pretty much left alone for more than a millenium. The place is full of things like this.
ReplyDeleteAn undisturbed jewel!
ReplyDelete