Saint Sophia with her daughters Faith, Hope and Charity
Entry/Object ID
2005.02.013
Description
This Rostov enamel (finift) on ceramic tile depicts three female figures on a light blue background. Saint Sophia wears pink robes, clue cloak, and white maphorion. Her daughter's heads are uncovered, and they wear robes of green and yellow, green and pink, and blue and yellow respectively and they stand in smaller stature beneath their mother. The painting is covered with a metal frame. A Cyrillic caption is painted on the reverse side.
Type of Painting
Panel
Collection
Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection
Acquisition
Accession
2005.02
Source or Donor
Betsy Scheuring
Acquisition Method
Gift
Credit Line
Gift of Betsy Scheuring
Made/Created
Place
* Untyped Place
Rostov, Yaroslavl Region [Russia]
Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
Inscription
Location
Reverse side of icon
Language
Cyrillic
Lexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
Icon
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
Symbol, Religious
Nomenclature Sub-Class
Religious Objects
Nomenclature Class
Ceremonial Objects
Nomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication Objects
Dimensions
Height
2-1/2 in
Width
2-1/4 in
Exhibition
Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)
Interpretative Labels
Label Type
Cultural/Historical Context
Label
This charming group of saints shows St. Sophia (whose name means wisdom) with her three martyred daughters. According to legend, Sophia was a pious Christian widow with three devout young daughters, Faith, Hope and Charity, who lived in Rome at the time of Emperor Hadrian. He demanded that the girls deny their faith and worship the pagan goddess Artemis. However, all three refused and were martyred in various ways. Their mother had to witness these violent acts and died herself after burying her offspring. The three young girls personify the three theological virtues. Faith holds a cross, indicating her loyalty to the church, and also places one hand on her breast. Hope holds an anchor, which derives from St. Paul (Heb. 6:19): “Hope is like an anchor for our lives…” Charity is the foremost of the virtues: “And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (I Cor.13:13) Their feast day is September 17 (cf. 2005.02.011 for a similar frame and style of enamel painting).
