This image of Sophia is considered the personification of the wisdom of God. Indeed, in Greek, the word for wisdom is Sophia. Sophia, as depicted in icons, represents the Word of God, which will be made incarnate by Jesus Christ. She is the Second Person of the Trinity. Unlike most sacred figures depicted in icons, she never existed as a real human being. Therefore, this icon is the most abstract and allegorical type of icon; similarly, female figures were allegories for virtues in Hellenistic theology (including not only Sophia, but also her daughters Faith, Hope, and Love (in Russian, Vera, Nadezhda, and Liubov).

Sophia sits on a throne similar to Christ’s in Last Judgment icons. She is flanked by the Mother of God on her right and John the Baptist on her left, reminiscent of Christ’s position on a deesis row, or the central row of an iconostasis. Christ himself appears twice on this icons: once held by the Mother of God in a mandorla, similar to the Sign Mother of God icons, and once directly above Sophia’s head.

Sophia is always depicted as a winged being with red skin, hair, and clothing. The reason for the red coloring is unclear, but is often associated with fire. Fire is associated with being cleansed, tempered, or strengthened in Christian symbolism. Most famously, angels feed fire to Elijah as he is born.

Sophia is typically shown on a throne with seven pillars, a reference to Proverbs Chapter 9, Verse 1: "Wisdom has built her house. She has hewn out her seven pillars."