Description
Hand Painted Russian Orthodox Virgin Mary Icon OUR LADY Of VLADIMIR, painted in Romania, by Orthodox iconographer Iuliana
Materials: Natural Pigments, a Lime-tree Wood Board, 24K Gold Leaf, Varnish
Size of the Icon: A4 11.7×8.3 inches/ 29,7×21 cm, Thickness 1 inch/ 2.5 cm.
Technique: Egg Tempera technique, ...Hand Painted
History of the icon
The Virgin of Vladimir, also known as the Vladimir Mother of God, Our Lady of Vladimir, is a 12th-century Byzantine icon depicting the Virgin and Child. It is one of Russian history’s most culturally significant and celebrated works of art. The icon was painted by an unknown artist, probably in Constantinople. It then traveled to various places: Kyiv, Vladimir, the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Moscow, then, after the revolution, to the State Tretyakov Gallery. In the 1990s the icon was moved to the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi. It can be accessed through an underground passage from the gallery to the church, where liturgies are still held.
The icon depicts Jesus Christ as a child in the arms of his mother, Mary. They embrace cheek to cheek, with the child looking up at Mary and reaching out to her. Among the icons of the Virgin Mary with Jesus, Our Lady of Vladimir is classified as an Eleusian icon (where the Christ Child is nestled against his mother’s cheek). The icon is considered one of the most treasured symbols of Russian history. The icon has three feast days, which are celebrated throughout the year to commemorate specific events with which it is associated:
3 June [O.S. 21 May][c] to commemorate the protection of Moscow by the Crimean Khan Mehmed Giray in 1521.
6 July [O.S. 23 June] for the victory over Khan Ahmed during the Great Standing on the Ugra River in 1480.
8 September [O.S. 26 August] to commemorate the liberation of Moscow from the threat of invasion by Tamerlane.Technical details:
• Icon painted by Romanian iconographer Iuliana;
• Excellence quality hand-painted icon;
• Natural pigments;
• 24K gilded and varnished;
• Icon painted on a Lime-tree Wood Board.The uniqueness of an icon:
• This icon became a standard for many Russian contemporary depictions of Mary.
• It is regarded as the holy protectress of Russia
• Art historians praise its craftsmanship and conceptionNeed further information?
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