21. Imperial Icon on Wood, "Mother of God with the Infant (Hodigitria)", Wallachia, Brâncoveanu school, the era of Constantin Brâncoveanu, end of the 17th century, museum piece

Identification elements of an iconographic and stylistic order: On the blue-green background at the top and olive-green at the bottom of the icon, the Mother of God is represented, depicted below mid-height, holding the Child on her left arm and pointing to him with her right (the Hodegetria type). The statuesque figure of the Virgin occupies the entire field of the icon. Her head slightly bent towards the Child and the thoughtful gaze, as well as Jesus's look towards his mother, bring this representation close to the Eleusa type (the Comforter). The Mother of God wears traditional clothes: a blue dress and bonnet, a red maphorion, draped according to the typical in angular folds, made with the same color in darker shades. The Child Jesus is dressed in a white chiton and a golden-yellow himation; he blesses with his right hand, and in his left, he holds a rotulus. Around the heads, the gold halos are decorated with incised wheels. The features are made in the style of Brâncovenesc painting: the oval of the face ending with a rounded chin, large "fish scale" shaped eyes, underlined by eyelids and eye bags, arched eyebrows, straight nose, small and red mouth. The facial modeling is done through successive overlays of shades of ochre, and the shadows are depicted with green-brown and red. Technical identification elements: The linden wood panel, reinforced at the back with two new crossbars; on the front, rough wood, the raised frame is painted with golden-yellow and red; tempera painting on wood. Conclusions: Of a high artistic stature, the icon fits into the stylistic coordinates of Brâncovenesc painting, the anonymous painter having trained in the ambiance of the “school” at Hurezi Monastery (Vâlcea) (A.D.).

Dimensions

width 67.5 cm, height 88.5 cm

Description

tempera and gold leaf on wood

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