Dear Ones,

Why are the two sides of the face of Christ Pantocrator in this image so different? …

Image: “The Christ Pantocrator of St. Catherine’s Monastery at Sinai, a 6th-century encaustic icon,” unknown artist, 6th Century, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg ..

Image: “The Christ Pantocrator of St. Catherine’s Monastery at Sinai, a 6th-century encaustic icon,” unknown artist, 6th Century, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg ..

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Here is a composite image comprising two instances of the left side of the original image. The second instance is flipped and portrayed as the right side of this new image. This image represents Christ as the Bearer of Mercy and Grace …

Image: “Christ as the Bearer of Mercy and Grace,” adapted from left side of Image: “The Christ Pantocrator of St. Catherine’s Monastery at Sinai, a 6th-century encaustic icon,” unknown artist, 6th Century, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg … public domain

Image: “Christ as the Bearer of Mercy and Grace,” adapted from left side of Image: “The Christ Pantocrator of St. Catherine’s Monastery at Sinai, a 6th-century encaustic icon,” unknown artist, 6th Century, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg … public domain

. . . . .

Here is a composite image comprising two instances of the right side of the original image. The second instance is flipped and portrayed as the left side of this new image. This image represents Christ as the Dreaded Judge of Unrepentant Sinners …

Image: “Christ as the Dreaded Judge of Unrepentant Sinners,” adapted from right side of Image: “The Christ Pantocrator of St. Catherine’s Monastery at Sinai, a 6th-century encaustic icon,” unknown artist, 6th Century, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg … public domain

Image: “Christ as the Dreaded Judge of Unrepentant Sinners,” adapted from right side of Image: “The Christ Pantocrator of St. Catherine’s Monastery at Sinai, a 6th-century encaustic icon,” unknown artist, 6th Century, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg … public domain

. . . . .

The original image was quite cleverly conceived, was it not? It says two things at the same time:  Christ is the Bearer of Mercy and Grace; and Christ is the Dreaded Judge of Unrepentant Sinners.

Interestingly enough, the quality of having two sides of the face different might have been something the artist saw in real life. Facial asymmetry is present in one fourth to one third of Human Beings.

Io lux et pax nobiscum.
Joy, light and peace be with us!
Alice B. Clagett

Written and published on 7 July 2026

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). Attribution: By Alice B. Clagett.
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Christ, Christianity, culture, art appreciation,