The Apostles, the Christ’s companions, preached his teaching. The topic of apostleship became particularly important during the time of Patriarch Nikon’s ecclesiastical reform. It was then, in the middle of the 17th century, that Orthodox sermons acquired great importance.

The style and the fine painting of the Yaroslavl icon show that it was created by one of the masters of the Armoury of the Moscow Kremlin. Supposedly it was Fyodor Zubov. The master worked in Yaroslavl in the middle of the 17th century by order of the Skripin brothers who were building the church of Prophet Elijah in the city at that time. Apostle’s teaching icon was in that church, on its southern wall.

The iconography of the image is markedly influenced by Western European engravings, in particular works from the Piscator Bible. Images from the Dutch edition of the Bible that was popular in Russia, were taken as samples by many Russian masters. Fyodor Zubov paid special attention to details, expressiveness of images and color combinations. The background of the icon is covered with leaf gold, a circle with apostolic passions is painted in soft tones of light ochre and green, the figures of the characters are portrayed in bright spots of green, scarlet and purple.

At the top of the icon, the artist painted the Deisis. In the center of the composition is the New Testament Trinity, enclosed in a circle, on the sides are the Mother of God, John the Baptist, the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, as well as a host of angels.