Saint Ephrem the Syrian
St. Ephrem the Syrian was a deacon, a theologian and a prolific Syriac-language hymnographer of the 4th. Century. The austerity of his character is suggested by a narrow face, high cheek-bones, oversized eyes and a stern mouth. According to the Oriental manner, he wears a short beard, following the line of his hollow cheeks, and a narrow mustache. The mature age of the character is symbolized by his gray hair, sometimes completely white. In most of the cases, St. Ephrem the Syrian is clad in a grayish long and large tunic, suggesting the monastic cassock, vestment standardized only centuries later by the Christian iconography. A draped mantle is worn over it. The head and shoulders are covered by a tightly wrapped veil, a headgear typical, in Byzantine illuminated manuscripts, for Oriental characters. An iconographic variant represents St. Ephrem with his hands half raised towards his chest, the palms open and facing the viewer. Usually St. Ephrem is presented frontally, half-length but also full-length.
Similarly to other iconographic themes of saints, Doctors of the Church, St Ephrem the Syrian is holding an open scroll with the text of one of his works.
St. Ephrem the Syrian was a deacon, a theologian and a prolific Syriac-language hymnographer of the 4th. Century. The austerity of his character is suggested by a narrow face, high cheek-bones, oversized eyes and a stern mouth. According to the Oriental manner, he wears a short beard, following the line of his hollow cheeks, and a narrow mustache. The mature age of the character is symbolized by his gray hair, sometimes completely white. In most of the cases, St. Ephrem the Syrian is clad in a grayish long and large tunic, suggesting the monastic cassock, vestment standardized only centuries later by the Christian iconography. A draped mantle is worn over it. The head and shoulders are covered by a tightly wrapped veil, a headgear typical, in Byzantine illuminated manuscripts, for Oriental characters. An iconographic variant represents St. Ephrem with his hands half raised towards his chest, the palms open and facing the viewer. Usually St. Ephrem is presented frontally, half-length but also full-length.
Similarly to other iconographic themes of saints, Doctors of the Church, St Ephrem the Syrian is holding an open scroll with the text of one of his works.
