Picture in Focus: Sacred Heart of Jesus Icon by Jodi Simmons

August 13, 2017

Picture in Focus: Sacred Heart of Jesus Icon by Jodi Simmons

As we continue looking at new icons and iconographers represented in the Sacred Art Pilgrim Collection, I have a holy image to show this week, which is a good example of the way icons can help to bridge the division between Christians of Eastern and Western faith traditions. In this variation of Christ Ruler of All iconography, Massachusetts-based Artist Jodi Simmons offers us a half-length, frontal image of Jesus in traditional blue and red tones symbolizing his divinity and humanity. His right hand is raised in blessing, the fingers touching in the Orthodox way. Instead of holding the closed Gospel in his left hand, typical for this subject, Christ gestures toward his heart, aflame with divine love, encircled by a crown of thorns and placed on a Cross. Simmons has incorporated the popular Roman Catholic devotional motif of the Sacred Heart of Jesus into an ancient Eastern Orthodox iconographic prototype. The new Simmons icon can be viewed in the gallery of her profile page in the Sacred Artists section. (John Kohan)