Icon - Wood - VASSIL, GREGORY AND JOHN

Three Holy Hierarchs of the Eastern Church, one of the most recognizable compositions of Orthodox iconography.

From left to right appear:

St. Basil the Great (Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας)
St. Gregory of Nyssa (Γρηγόριος ὁ Θεολόγος), in the center
St. John Chrysostom (Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος)

The inscriptions in ecclesiastical Slavonic (Cyrillic) clearly identify each one as “St.” followed by his name.

1. Iconographic type

This is the classic type of the Three Hierarchs, which symbolizes:

The doctrinal unity of the Church
The theological authority
The synthesis between liturgy, preaching and thought

Each one represents an aspect:

Basil the Great → monastic and liturgical organization
Gregory of Nyssa → mystic and Trinitarian theology
John Chrysostom → preaching and eloquence

All share common elements:

Halo: sign of sanctity
Closed book or Gospel book: doctrinal authority
Episcopal vestments: omophorion with crosses

Basil the Great: austere face, long beard → ascetic character
Gregory: older, abundant beard → theological wisdom
John Chrysostom: more elongated face → tradition of orator

Frontal and symmetrical arrangement, typical of Byzantine and Russian art
Dark and neutral background → eliminates the earthly
Isolated figures → emphasizes their individuality within the unity

At the top appears a small medallion with Christ (IC XC), which legitimizes their authority as teachers of the Church.

Probably Russian or Slavic icon (18th–19th centuries)
Features:
Simplification of forms
Flat colors (green, red, blue)
Bold outlines
Less refined than the classical Byzantine school

Represents doctrinal Orthodoxy
Emphasizes the continuity of the apostolic tradition
Teaches that Christian wisdom is plural but unified

In the Orthodox Church, these three saints are celebrated together on January 30 as a symbol of theological harmony.

We are looking at a devotional icon of the Three Hierarchs, of Slavic tradition, which combines:

Didactic clarity
Theological symbolism
A simple yet deeply meaningful aesthetics