Icons of St. Ambrose of Milan, bishop

Icons of St. Ambrose of Milan

Feast Days: Apr. 4 (repose) & Dec. 7 (ordination & consecration)

Top Icon: by the hand of Alexander Stolyarov, courtesy of Hieromonk Benedikt (Schneider) of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Next Icon: icon from a church in Belgium, with life-scenes.

Next Icon: by the hand of Aidan Hart, United Kingdom (Oecumenical Patriarchate). This icon is a thumbnail; click on it to see greater detail.

Next Icon: by the hand of Mother Justina, Greek Old Calendarist convent of St. Elizabeth, Etna, California, with permission. 

Next Icon: ancient fresco of St. Ambrose, the oldest known image of him. As shown in the fresco, Ambrose was known to have a short, dark beard.

Next Icon: by the hand of Hieromonk Cassien, Greek Old Calendar Hermitage, Clara, France.

Next Icon: from the atelier (workshop) of St. Andrew, France. 

Next Icon: of unknown origin, from the website of the Milan Synod at http://xoomer.virgilio.it/elia1960. 

Next Icon: at St. Hilarion Monastery, Austin, Texas, by the hand of Mother Justina of the St. Elizabeth Convent in Etna, California (Florinite Greek Old Calendarist).

Next Icon: from Kotar, Yugoslavia. It bears a Latin inscription: S[anctus] Ambrosius. Many thanks to Mother Justina and to Hieromonk Ambrose (Moone) for making these icons available.

Next Icon: of unknown provenance.

Next Icon: of unknown provenance.

Next Icon: of unknown provenance, apparently the full-length version of the preceding icon.

Next Icon: unknown provenance; St. Ambrose is wearing bishop's vestments of the style of the Western rite in the 6th or 7th century, together with a 13th-century style mitre.

Five More Icons of St. Ambrose of Milan

Because St. Ambrose was Italian and the above icon is Greek, the topmost icon may strike the viewer as a culturally inaccurate representation. However, the omophor was used in the West (pallium), the phelon (chasuble) is not markedly different from a Western one, cuffs were used in the West (maniculae; they were considered decorative, not a vestment) & the practice by Western Bishops of wearing a cross containing relics during services was widespread. Even the appearance on St. Ambrose' right thigh of the palitsa or thigh-shield has a Western counterpart: the succinctory, a double pouch-like garment which was made to hang from the Bishop's zona (Western rite girdle) and represented his duty to give both physical and spiritual alms to the poor from the Church's purse. If there is anything incongruous about this marvellous icon, it is that we know, from the earliest portraits of St. Ambrose, that he had large brown eyes, large ears, and a very short dark brown beard. 

The topmost icon is available from St. Isaac of Syria Skete, Boscobel, Wisconsin. 

The next icon is from a manuscript in the British Library. St. Ambrose is shown in episcopal vestments of the 12th c.

The next icon is available from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Boston.

The next is by Constantine Youssis, and is available from Come And See icons.

The next is of unknown provenance.

Next Icon: anonymous hand, available from Come and See Icons.

Final Icon: by the hand of Mary Sullivan Coit

A note on the icon graphics we host on this site, including the above icons: 
St. John Cassian Press does not "carry," i.e., reproduce, sell, or stock these icons. Those who wish to acquire icons should contact the icon's producer / distributor, if shown; otherwise, an icon maker or distributor should be contacted (a cursory list appears on the main Icons page).