The Deësis: Detail of the Apsidal Vault, Church of St. John, Taufers, Italy

1220-30
Fresco
Church of St. John, Taufers, Italy

This is the traditional Deësis. In the center Christ holds an open book with his left hand and blesses the viewer with his right. Mary on the left and John the Baptist on the right hold out their hands to him in supplication for those who are to be judged. John wears a plain cloth tunic, not the camel-hair garment customary in other iconographic types. It would appear that Mary's robe is not the usual blue, but this may be an effect of age.

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Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.