Monastic founders standing in front of the institutions they created is a popular iconographic type, associated with the age of pilgrimage in Russia. Monasteries made icons as souvenirs to commemorate a pilgrim’s pious journey.

Identifying inscriptions are missing but we can recognise Daniel here by his princely robe, distinct from the liturgical garb of most saints, and by his spade beard.

Daniil Aleksandrovich (Даниил Александрович), Grand Prince of Moscow, was born 1261 in Vladimir, Vladimir Oblast, Russia to Aleksandr Nevsky (1220-1263).

Daniil has been credited with founding the first Moscow monasteries, namely the Epiphany Monastery and the Danilov Monastery (Saint Daniel Monastery): situated on the right bank of the Moskva River, at a distance of 5 miles from the Moscow Kremlin.