Catalogue information
Estimated year. Description via an icon expert: It is an icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, the Vladimirskaya. Description: This icon is of the Eleousa type. Eleousa is Greek for "merciful." In Russian the name is Umilenie. The primordial icon was painted in Constantinople on behalf of Prince Isyaslav of Kiev. Via Kiev the icon ended up in Vladimir (hence the name Vladimirskaya), and finally in Moscow, which in 1395 was in danger of being conquered by the Mongols. By carrying this icon in a procession through the city, Moscow would have been spared this fate. After this, the icon became the object of deep veneration and was given a place in the Ascension Cathedral of the Kremlin. Since the revolution of 1917, it has been housed in the Tretyakov Gallery, Russia's most important icon museum in Moscow. In the picture, Jesus is tenderly snuggling against His mother's cheek. He put an arm around her neck. Mary's expression is somewhat sad. Also characteristic is the bare sole of the child's foot, referring to his future suffering. The Mother of God is clothed in a maphorion, a purple cloak. Purple is an imperial color. The cloak is provided with three stars, which symbolize the Trinity in her, or can be regarded as signs of her virginity before, during and after birth. The child's robes are golden, a color that refers to the eternal light, the divine sunshine. Inscriptions ΜΡ θΥ (Godmother Theou, 'Mother of God') IC XC (“Jesus Christ”) 'OωΝ ('The Being', 'He Who Is')
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