Description
Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd holds a lamb close to his chest in this icon. The subject draws on John 10:11-18, where Jesus describes the shepherd who knows his sheep and freely gives his life for them. The image therefore speaks not only of care but of the self-giving love at the heart of Christ's Passion and Resurrection.
The lamb, staff and cross-marked halo
Christ wears a red mantle over a blue-green tunic and looks down toward the lamb supported in his arms. The curved staff identifies the shepherd's role. His halo contains a cross, while the letters IC XC abbreviate the Greek name of Jesus Christ. In this composition the lamb represents the one entrusted to the Shepherd's care; it is not a separate depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God. A bare branch completes the composition at the side.
Made in Poland on linden wood
Art Christiana makes this icon to order on a linden-wood board with two coats of primer. The image is printed directly onto the prepared surface and finished with decorative gold-tone metal leaf (schlagmetal). A certificate bearing the production year and a hanging fixture are attached to the back.
A Gospel image for prayer
The icon can accompany a reading of John 10 in a home prayer space, a catechetical room or a pastoral office. For a Baptism or First Communion gift, its recognizable shepherd-and-lamb motif gives adults a concrete way to explain Christ's relationship with his followers.