60. Icon on wood, "Mother of God with the Infant (Hodighitria)", Wallachian Region, post-Brancovan school, first half of 18th century, rare collectible piece

On the blue background, the Mother of God is represented, rendered up to the waist, holding the Infant on her left arm and pointing to him with her right hand (the Hodegetria type). The statue-like figure of the Virgin dominates the entire field of the icon. The slightly tilted head towards the Infant and the thoughtful expression, as well as Jesus' gaze, directed towards his mother, align this portrayal with the Eleusa type (The Comforter). The Mother of God wears traditional garments: a blue dress, a red maphorion, draped according to the Brâncovenesc typicon, in angular folds, graphically depicted, in shades of black. The Infant Jesus is dressed in a golden-yellow chiton and blue himation; He blesses with His right hand, and in His left hand, He holds a rotulus. The features of the portraits are made in the style of post-Brâncovan painting: the oval of the face ending with a rounded chin, big eyes, in the shape of "fish scales", underlined by eyelids and dark circles, arched eyebrows, straight nose, small and red mouth. The faces' modelling is created through successive overlays of ochre shades, and the shadows are rendered with green-brown and red. The archaic style of the painting betrays a conservative workshop, which still strictly preserved the rigors of the Brâncovan style, which is the basis of the post-Brâncovan style.

Dimensions

width 20.5 cm, height 25 cm

Description

tempera on wood

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