UDC 7.046
Svitlana Olianina
Institute for Cultural Research of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Kyiv.
ORCID ID 0000-0002-0628-146X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37627/2311-9489-28-2025-2.146-160
Keywords: Ukrainian art 17th–18th century, iconography of Christ, footstool symbolism, eschatology, liturgical imagery.
Abstract.
This article investigates the formal and symbolic transformations of the footstool beneath the enthroned images of Christ in Ukrainian art from the 17th century to the first half of the 18th century. During this period, the rectangular footstools characteristic of the medieval tradition were replaced by new forms — circular and polygonal — frequently rendered as two-tiered podiums supporting the throne. In this configuration, the footstool visually resembled an episcopal ambon. Notably, circular and polygonal footstools were typically painted white, whereas the two-tiered variants were sometimes executed in two colours, white and red. It is proposed that these new forms of the divine throne’s footstool were introduced to articulate two interconnected thematic dimensions: the eschatological meaning of Christ’s enthroned images as the Judge of the Second Coming, and His role as the Head of the Heavenly Church, dispensing grace to His creation. The circular footstool, following the Byzantine tradition, symbolised the structure of the cosmos; however, its white colour conveyed the idea that the world beneath Christ’s feet is renewed and perfected — representing the transfigured universe that, according to Orthodox dogma, shall come into being after the Second Coming. In parallel with its eschatological connotations, Ukrainian art of the period also emphasised the footstool’s liturgical symbolism. This aspect is most clearly manifested in depictions of Christ enthroned in the iconographic type of the Great High Priest. Within this visual formula, Christ, as the Head of the Heavenly Church, transmits divine grace through the Holy Spirit to His creation, represented by the circular white footstool as an ideal model of the world — thus expressing the notion of cosmic sanctification.
Author’s biography.
Svitlana Olianina, Doctor of Art Studies, professor, Leading Research Fellow, Institute for Cultural Research of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Kyiv.
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The article was received by the editorial office on 17.11.2025.
The article was accepted for publication after review on 01.12.2025.
The article was published on 31.12.2025.
Section: UKRAINIAN CULTURE.