Intercession
Hand-painted Deesis icon
Deesis means «supplication» in Greek. At the centre Christ, at his right the Mother of God, at his left Saint John the Baptist: both turned towards Him, hands outstretched, interceding for humanity. It is the icon of the Church's prayer for the world.
The meaning of the Deesis
The Mother of God and the Forerunner are the two great witnesses of the Incarnation: she who bore the Word and he who pointed Him out to the world. In the Deesis they stand beside Christ as intercessors, and with them the whole Church turns to the Lord. This is why the Deesis is at the centre of the main tier of the iconostasis.
Among the most famous Deesis images is the 13th-century mosaic in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, one of the summits of Byzantine art.
Triptych or single panel
The Deesis can be commissioned as a single panel with all three figures or as a triptych of three panels, more solemn, suited to a feature wall, a study, a chapel or a church. Like every icon from the atelier, it is fully gilded with 23¾ karat gold, with inscriptions in Greek or Latin, and is commissioned with an offering proportionate to the time and materials of the work.
Deesis triptych
Three panels on a blue wall, in a study.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the three figures of the Deesis?
Christ at the centre, the Mother of God at his right (on the viewer's left) and Saint John the Baptist at his left. Larger compositions add archangels, apostles and saints.
Is the Deesis suitable for a home?
Yes: in a medium size or as a triptych it is the central icon of a prayer corner, gathering Christ and the two great intercessors in a single image.