An antique Russian Orthodox Angel of the Desert kovcheg icon depicting winged and haloed St. John the Baptist in the desert. The saint is represented full-length in an erect frontal pose with wings outspread. In his left hand, St. John holds an unfurled scroll with an inscription written in Old Church Slavonic, the right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing. Materials: tempera on wooden panel. Circa the 18th century. St. John the Baptist is one of the most venerated Christian saints, the last Prophet of the Old Testament, the Forerunner of Christ. St. John’s life was a common subject in Western and in Eastern art. The iconographic type depicting St. John as an angel originated in thirteenth-century Byzantium.