When contemplating Rublev’s Icon of the Holy Trinity,
it is almost inevitable that some will ask: Who’s Who? Though the Three Angels
are similar in appearance, their clothing is distinctive, and so certain minds
will naturally seek to read meaning into their colours and Who they represent.
Whether the question is even
appropriate is a matter of debate, though the very human need to cross every
“t” and dot every “i” means that it is certainly not a modern one: answers do
exist.
Early icons from the first millennium did on occasion identify Christ among
the Trinity at least. An example from the early 5th century is of a mosaic from
the Saint Maria Maggiore in Rome. In it, Abraham greets the Three on bended
knee; the central of the Three men is cloaked in a mandorla, with his hand raised in a blessing –
identifying Him with Jesus Christ, the Son. Identifying the pre-Incarnate
Christ among the Three Angels, but not identifying the other Two, crops up in
isolated Icons for centuries afterwards. The most usual way of identifying
Christ would be to give the central Angel seated around the table a
special “I AM” cross-halo, which is only associated with Jesus
Christ.
However, this practice was condemned by the Stoglav Council (Стоглавый Собор) of 1551. The Council also recommended that the Icon not explicitly name
any of the Angels, but instead carry the inscription Svyataya Troitsa (Святая Троица), i.e.: “Holy Trinity”. This practice spread out from the Russian Church
and is now generally followed by all Orthodox Iconographers.
Despite the ruling of the
Council, attempts have been made to identify the Three Angels of the Holy
Trinity, even those depicted on the beautifully simple Icon by Rublev. The most
common explanation is so widespread that it is worth describing here:
To the left is the Father, Who is
seated beneath Abraham’s “tent” as described in the Genesis
account; yet in the Icon the tent is
shown as a magnificent castle: the open-doored House of the Father, the goal of
our journey. He is shown clothed in garments which seem to shimmer, reflecting
the Heavenly Glory.
To the right is the Holy Spirit,
clothed in green and blue hues: the colours of the Earth. These are also the
colours of the Holy Spirit, as He “…is everywhere present and fills all
things…” according to the Orthodox prayer. In addition, Orthodox churches are
decorated in greenery at the feast of Pentecost (the descent of the Holy Spirit
upon the Apostles), and worshipers wear green. The Holy Spirit is seated
beneath a mountain, which represents the spiritual ascent all believers must
experience.
And so in the center is seated the Son, or Word of God. His clothes are the typical bright red
cloaked in blue, often seen on Icons of Jesus Christ, representing the Divine
(red) and human (blue) natures. Over his right shoulder there is a band of
gold; as Isaiah prophesied: the Government shall be upon
his shoulder. Towering above Him is the oak of Mamre, yet within
this icon is revealed as a foreshadowing of the Cross, or tree, from which
Jesus would be hung.
With this in mind, we can see
that what the Icon shows us is not the three individuals of the Holy Trinity,
but the relationship between Them. Of the Three, the Father on the left of the
picture is the only figure to be unbowed, displaying a fatherly authority over
the other Two. The Holy Spirit and the Son together bow to the Father, so that
we can clearly see the Father to be the fountainhead of the other Two: from the
Father comes both the Word (the Son) and the Breath (Spirit) of God. Contrary
to the formulations of heretical theologians, the Holy Spirit does not bow
before the Son, nor is He depicted as the love which flows between the Father
and Son, but as a person in His own right, in a relationship with the other
Two. The Son of God is shown as though in conversation with the Father, which
is what is revealed to us in the Gospels, where Jesus frequently prays to the
Heavenly Father. Despite the authority of the Father, all Members of the Holy
Trinity are shown equal in size, and the reverence of the Son and Spirit to the
Father appears voluntary; it is done out of love, not fear.
Yet we must be careful to
separate what is revealed to us by God, and is therefore salvific, from that
which is formulated by arrogant “over-philosophizing” and can therefore lead us
off in dangerous directions. We can look upon the Icon of the Holy Trinity and
contemplate the relationship of the Father with the Son and the Holy Spirit,
yet we must not try to concentrate too much on the Three figures as separate
beings.
The canons of the Stoglav
Council are therefore useful in that they encourage us to look at the Icon in
the most beneficial way. We are not invited to look at “the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit” – three individuals – but instead the Holy Trinity: a
Tri-Unity toward Whom our prayers are directed.
All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us.
Lord, cleanse us from our sins.
Master, pardon our iniquities.
Holy God, visit and heal us.
For Thy Name’s sake.
Source:
https://iconreader.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/whos-who-in-the-trinity-icon/
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