![]() The Son wears the garments that Christ is traditionally depicted in: the red robe and the blue himation. The Father wears a gold robe over his blue inner garment, showing his glory as the Origin of the Godhead. All of their heads are inclined to one another, none holding any posture of dominance of authority over the others, keeping with the teaching that the members of the Holy Trinity are coequal in majesty and glory. They all hold staffs, which symbolize their authority. All are identical and are shown to be neither male nor female. It is my hope that this reading of the icon will help make this designation clear.Įach Person wears blue signifying heaven, from which they come. There has been a lot of debate about which angel represents which Person of the Holy Trinity, but I think that the three angels sit from left to right in their traditional doxological order- the Father is represented on the left, the Son is represented in the middle, and the Holy Spirit is represented on the right (from this point on I will reference the angels as the Persons they represent rather than continuing to reuse the phrase “the angel that represents” with the understanding that this is not an actual depiction of the Holy Trinity, which would be heresy). There was quite a bit of damage- the gold leaf for the background had been peeled away, there are cracks in the green at the angels’ feet and the colors have faded a bit. In the early 1900’s however, there was an effort to restore the icon to its original composition, removing the extra layers of paint given by other iconographers so that we have the icon we know today. This distorted the image and left some things lost. Over time different iconographers painted over it in order to renew the image for others to see, following the shapes and patterns that they could still discern. Over time, the oil blackened, leaving the image barely distinguishable. All icons at that time were coated with a special oil to help preserve the paint. ![]() ![]() This icon however, has suffered quite a bit of damage. By getting rid of the many narrative elements, Rublev shifted the focus to the three angels and their interaction with one another, exploring the dialogue of love within the Holy Trinity. Rublev’s means of accomplishing this came by way of drastically simplifying the icon, leaving only the angels, the altar with a single chalice and in the background only a house, a tree, and a rock. Because of this accomplishment, he is numbered amongst the greatest of Russian theologians. ![]() Andrei Rublev did just this, masterfully shifting the focus of the hospitality icon and making his version the most famous icon in the world. A 15 th century Russian iconographer and monk named St. Yet iconography is open to innovations and creativity. Andrei Rublev’s Hospitality of Abraham (Trinity) There is also a foreshadowing of the Eucharist present. The theme of the icon is that of hospitality, by which we may be entertaining angels. ![]() There is even sometimes included a slave killing a fattened calf for the table. Two oaks lean in and Abraham’s tent (portrayed as a building) can be seen in the distance. The table (resembling an altar) bears many vessels, some of which are clearly vessels used during the Divine Liturgy. In earlier icons of the Hospitality, this event was depicted with the three angels grouped around the table, enjoying the meal given them by Abraham and Sarah, who stand beside them and on either side. The early Church quickly recognized that this event was an early revelation of the Trinity. It was then that Abraham and Sarah realized that they had entertained angels without knowing it and had heard the will of God. When they had been given a meal, the three men promised Abraham that he and his wife Sarah would have a child within a year. Abraham provided hospitality to these three men who had suddenly appeared and acted in unison, speaking as one. The Hospitality of Abraham is an icon that refers to the event detailed in Gen 18, when three men appeared at Abraham’s tent next to the Oaks of Mamre near Hebron. A traditional rendering of the Hospitality of Abraham icon ![]()
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