The only icon of the Trinity which the Church allows is, strictly speaking, not an icon of the Trinity perse, but of the visitation of the three Angels to Abraham. One cannot make a pictorial representation of the Father because He is spirit and has no depictable form. Similarly, one can depict the Holy Spirit only symbolically, as a dove or as tongue of fire. The Angels, which were clearly seen by Abraham, provide the Church with an indirect way of depicting the All-holy Trinity.
Clark Carlton
The Faith: Understanding Orthodox Christianity,62-63.
Regina Orthodox Press, 1997.
Abraham and Sarah from Genesis 18:
"The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men/angels standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought and wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate."
Clark Carlton
The Faith: Understanding Orthodox Christianity,62-63.
Regina Orthodox Press, 1997.
Abraham and Sarah from Genesis 18:
"The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men/angels standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought and wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate."
Primary reference for the above is The Rublev Trinity by Gabriel Bunge
Icon of the Holy Trinity
The Teachings on the Holy Trinity is the basic theological theme of Pentecost.
How can God be shown in an icon? "God is Spirit" says John. Through the incarnation God " became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (Jn 1:14). The Father, whom none has seen, revealed himself in the Son. Jesus says, "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn 14.9)
Humankind is capable of apprehending a vision of the image of the invisible God because he is created in the "Image of God." The Church Fathers saw the nature of our created image not as something static but as a living relationship. Any vision of God is a personal, immediate knowledge of God between creator and creature. It is of necessity the expression of a loving inward communion that is only possible for the Son and the Father. For us this perfect vision is not possible. The Church holds that the only possible image we have of the incarnate God, is the Son. But he is invisible in his divine nature without beginning even though he came to us as a mortal, born of a virgin mother. So even the image of the Son is only a limited view of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Any image or icon can only point us to what is not seen.
In the Old Testament we had prefiguations of God through the visions of the Prophets of Elias, Isaiah, and Daniel. Among these images that were given to us was the one given to Abraham and recorded by Moses. God appeared to Abraham at the oak of Mambre in the form of three men. This image which has become the main icon of the 
Holy Trinity is no manifestation of the infinite, but a prophetic vision of this mystery which has been revealed over time though the development of iconography.
Holy Trinity is no manifestation of the infinite, but a prophetic vision of this mystery which has been revealed over time though the development of iconography.
The earliest depiction of this event found in Genesis 18 is a 4th century fresco found in the Via Latina Catacomb.It shows Abraham sitting under a tree greeting three youths standing in front of him on a raised platform with his raised hand. To his right is a calf suggesting his yet to come hospitality. The youth represent angels as early depictions of angels were as beardless youths. The three are similar in size and clothed alike. There is not real distinction among them. Clearly 
this image in an interpretation of this scene from the Old Testament.
this image in an interpretation of this scene from the Old Testament.
We have from the 5th century a magnificent mosaic from the Saint Maria Maggiore in Rome. Abraham greets three youths on his knees. They now have halos or nimbi indicating a radiant light of glory around them. The one in the center is enclosed in a mandorla. Below they sit at a table and Abraham and Sarah are providing them hospitality. There is a bowl in front of the table for washing and on the table are three loaves of bread. Abraham is offering them a whole calf. Again an interpretation of the Biblical event.
Another early mosaic is found in San Vitale, Ravenna. Here one angel is pointing to the calf that Abraham holds and the other points to the bread. The one on the left holds his hand in blessing. This shows a network of relationships. This form remained unchanged for many centuries.
In the Eastern church a new iconographic type appeared around the year 1000. The image contains Abraham and Sarah and the three angels seated at the table. The guests no longer sit side by side 
but are group around a semicircular table. The middle angel is distinguished from the others and carries a scroll in his left hand while blessing with his right. The nimbus about his head has a cross clearly symbolizing Christ. This type is begun to be referred to as the Holy Trinity and was Christ centered. The image to the right is from a 11th century Greek psalter.
but are group around a semicircular table. The middle angel is distinguished from the others and carries a scroll in his left hand while blessing with his right. The nimbus about his head has a cross clearly symbolizing Christ. This type is begun to be referred to as the Holy Trinity and was Christ centered. The image to the right is from a 11th century Greek psalter.
In the 14th century we have the well known iconographer Theophanes the Greek who painted many icons in Russia. He did the iconography in the church of the Transfiguration of Christ in Novgorod. This 
fresco of the trinity shows the familiar arrangement. The center angel appears more prominent. He bears a cross nimbus and carries along with his staff a large scroll. clearly symbolizing Christ.
fresco of the trinity shows the familiar arrangement. The center angel appears more prominent. He bears a cross nimbus and carries along with his staff a large scroll. clearly symbolizing Christ.
In the late Byzantine period another interpretation appeared. An example comes from the Athonite Monastery of Vatopedi. It is more elaborate . The angels sit around a richly decorated table. The central angel has his head turned to the side with the head inclined slightly. His hand is no longer raised in blessing but now makes a gesture towards the vessel in front of him. He still has the cross nimbus. Abraham and Sarah are inserted between the angels with an attitude of reverence. The two side angels have clear gestures. One on the left blesses the table and the one on the right reaches for piece of bread. We also see in the background a house and a tree from the Biblical narrative.
This form is commonly seen in current iconography in the Greek Orthodox Churches. Shown below is a recent copy of this form of icon. Here there is no cross in the nimbus of the central angel and they appear equal in size. The table is clearly a dinning table fixed with food.
Saint Andrew Rublev Icon of the Holy Trinity
These series of icons shown above form the background for the development of one the most famous icons of the Trinity by the Russian iconographer Saint Andrew Rublev. There was no fixed form for the Trinity at the time of Rublev in the 15th century. This left painters freedom in their interpretation. He was aware of the transition from Christ centered icons of the Trinity toward a more theologically correct trinitarian view.
Year 1411 or 1425-27Type Tempera
Dimensions 142 cm × 114 cm (56 in × 45 in)
Location Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Saint Andrew introduced definite changes to the pattern that immediately preceded him. The central angel no longer looks at the beholder but at an angle to the left. The angel on the left and the right cross each other so the center of gravity moves from the central angel to one on the left. The angels are of equal size. He give the central angel clothing characteristic of Christ and makes the clothing of the other two unique. The hand are no longer pointing to objects on the table which is smaller and there is now room only for a chalice in its middle containing the sacrificial lamb. Their gestures do not relate to food as in earlier icons but to one another. They represent three separate distinct persons who in intimate relation with each other.
The angel on the left is clothed in a pale pink cloak with brown and blue-green highlights. The one in the center is clothed in the customary colors of Christ. A dark red robe and blue cloak. The one on the right has a green cloak. The clear and precise colors of the central angel are contrasted with the soft hues of the other two. The colors seem to blend and harmonize unifying the three figures giving them a tranquil joyfulness. Just as in so many other icons, gold indicates the value of the image and draws us into the Kingdom of Heaven. It is as if the entire scene were suffused with light. Fitting because of the subject – no less than God himself – the same God who dwells in light unapproachable, the same God who dwells in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The table no longer looks like a dinning table but is a cube clearly recognizable as an altar with an opening for the relics. The hosts Abraham and Sarah are no longer in the picture.
He uses the biblical background but relates it to the three figures. The angel on the left is coordinated with the house, the one in the middle with a tree and the one on the right with a rock. These relationships become symbolic.
Over the head of the Father who is on the left is the house of the Father. It is the goal of our journey. It is the beginning and end of our lives. Its roof is golden. Its door is always open for the traveler. It has a tower, and its window is always open so that the Father can incessantly scan the roads for a glimpse of a returning prodigal.
He is vested in a blue undergarment which depicts his divine celestial nature. His fatherly authority is seen in his entire appearance. His head is not bowed and he is looking at the other two angels. His whole demeanor - the expression on his face, the placement of his hands, the way he is sitting - all speaks of his fatherly dignity.
Behind the center angle who symbolizes christ is a great tree that spreads its shade in heat of the day. It is no ordinary tree. It stands above the 
Son in the picture, and stands above the altar-table where the lamb lies within the chalice. Because of the sacrifice this tree grows. The tree of death has been transformed into a tree of life for us.
Son in the picture, and stands above the altar-table where the lamb lies within the chalice. Because of the sacrifice this tree grows. The tree of death has been transformed into a tree of life for us.
The Son has the deepest colors; a thick heavy garment of the reddish-brown of blood earth and a cloak of the blue of heaven. In his person he unites heaven and earth, the two natures are present in him, and over his right shoulder (the Government shall be upon his shoulder) there is a band of gold shot through the earthly garment, as his divinity suffuses and transfigures his earthly being. He is inclined towards the first angel, as though deep in conversation.
The angel on the right symbolizes the Holy Spirit. His green mantle of the Spirit, scintillating with light, is another of Rublev’s achievements. Green belongs to the Spirit because the Spirit is the source of life. On the Feast of Pentecost, Eastern Orthodox churches are decorated with greenery, boughs and branches, and worshippers will wear green clothing. The Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit begins, "O Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of Life…"
This sense of the Spirit as the source of life, everywhere present, filling all things, contributes to one of the distinct feaatures of Orthodox theology. That is, it is intimately bound up with daily life. There is no such thing as theology which is purely intellectual. If theology doesn't change you, if it doesn’t flood you with light, it’s not worth your time
This icon is appreciated for its simplicity. Saint Andrew was successful at advancing the iconographic tradition of the Church adding depth and bringing greater clarity to a doctrine that is forever mystically clothed.
Henry Nouwen, the great spiritual writer from Notre Dame, notes:
“Andrei Rublev painted this icon not only to share the fruits of his own meditation on the mystery of the Holy Trinity but also to offer his fellow monks a way to keep their hearts centered on God while living in the midst of political unrest. The more we look at this holy image with the eyes of faith, the more we come to realize that is painted not as a lovely decoration for a convent church, nor as a helpful explanation of a difficult doctrine, but as a holy place to enter and stay within. As we place ourselves in front of the icon in prayer, we come to experience a gentle invitation to participate in an intimate table conversation that is taking place between the three divine angels and to join them at the table. The movement from the Father toward the Son and the movement of both Son and Spirit toward the Father become a movement in which the one who prays is lifted up and held secure. Through the contemplation of this icon we come to see with our own inner eyes that all the engagements in this world can bear fruit only when they take place within the divine circle. We can be involved in struggles for justice and actions for peace. We can be part of the ambiguities of family and community life. We can study, teach, write, and hold a regular job. We can do all of this without ever having to leave the house of love… Rublev's icon gives us a glimpse of the house of perfect love.”
“Andrei Rublev painted this icon not only to share the fruits of his own meditation on the mystery of the Holy Trinity but also to offer his fellow monks a way to keep their hearts centered on God while living in the midst of political unrest. The more we look at this holy image with the eyes of faith, the more we come to realize that is painted not as a lovely decoration for a convent church, nor as a helpful explanation of a difficult doctrine, but as a holy place to enter and stay within. As we place ourselves in front of the icon in prayer, we come to experience a gentle invitation to participate in an intimate table conversation that is taking place between the three divine angels and to join them at the table. The movement from the Father toward the Son and the movement of both Son and Spirit toward the Father become a movement in which the one who prays is lifted up and held secure. Through the contemplation of this icon we come to see with our own inner eyes that all the engagements in this world can bear fruit only when they take place within the divine circle. We can be involved in struggles for justice and actions for peace. We can be part of the ambiguities of family and community life. We can study, teach, write, and hold a regular job. We can do all of this without ever having to leave the house of love… Rublev's icon gives us a glimpse of the house of perfect love.”
Abraham and Sarah from Genesis 18:
"The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men/angels standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought and wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate."
"The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men/angels standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought and wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate."
Primary reference for the above is The Rublev Trinity by Gabriel Bunge
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