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Glite Dictionary
🖼️ Religious artwork 🙏 A prayer request
deesis

deesis

1 9.9
An image showing Christ between Mary and John the Baptist with them praying for people
  • noun
  • /ˈdiːəsɪs/
  • Specialized
: deisis
  • In medieval churches, a deesis was commonly found in icons, depicting Christ at the center with the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist on either side.

Examples

  • The interceding Virgin and Saint John the Baptist complete the Deesis group in both Last Judgments, which also include seated figures of the twelve Apostles, four angels holding the instruments of the Passion, and trumpeting angels who announce the day of judgment to the dead rising from their tombs.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The deesis often illustrates a moment of divine intercession, featuring Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist.

  • Many altarpieces include a deesis, showing Christ surrounded by the intercessory figures of Mary and John the Baptist.

Synonyms

icon
vsdeesis
26 6.7

A painted image of a holy person used in Eastern Orthodox worship

is a narrow type depicting Christ between two figures interceding

Surface Forms

deesis singular
deeses plural

Etymology

Deesis comes from the Greek δεήσις, which means 'prayer' or 'request'. In Christian art a deesis is a picture of Christ with Mary and John who are shown 'asking for help' for people, so the image itself is a visual prayer or plea.