The artwork titled “Prophet Samuel” is a fresco created around the year 1112 and is attributed to the Orthodox Icons tradition. It is a piece emblematic of the Kyiv school of icon painting, with influences from the Romanesque art movement. This icon belongs to a series dedicated to saints and is currently housed in the Russian Museum, located in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Depicted in the artwork is the Prophet Samuel, a significant figure known from the Hebrew Bible. The fresco shows him standing frontally, commanding a sense of presence that is typical of iconography from this period. His halo signifies his holiness and status as a prophet. The use of gold and the ornate patterns on his clothing point towards the importance of the subject as well as to the craftsmanship involved in such religious art. Samuel is holding a model of a church in one hand, which may symbolize his role in anointing kings and hence shaping the religious and political foundation of a nation. The colors have faded over time, and there is visible damage to the fresco, indicative of the artwork’s age and historical journey. Despite the wear and loss of some details, the figure of Samuel remains a powerful representation of piety and religious dedication.
