Antique 18th-Century Russian Icon Our Lady of Vladimir with Honorific Iris Pearl Embroidery, 31x27 cm
Antique Russian icon depicting Our Lady of Vladimir, from Central Russia, datable to the second half of the 18th century, accompanied by a 19th-century riza. Measurements: 31x26 cm.
The Mother of God of Vladimir belongs to the iconographic type known as the "Tenderness", in which the Child Jesus presses his cheek against that of the Virgin in a gesture of profound intimacy. The image expresses the bond between Mother and Child and, in the Orthodox tradition, evokes the union of the divine and the...
Info and features
Antique Russian icon depicting Our Lady of Vladimir, from Central Russia, datable to the second half of the 18th century, accompanied by a 19th-century riza. Measurements: 31x26 cm.
The Mother of God of Vladimir belongs to the iconographic type known as the "Tenderness", in which the Child Jesus presses his cheek against that of the Virgin in a gesture of profound intimacy. The image expresses the bond between Mother and Child and, in the Orthodox tradition, evokes the union of the divine and the human. According to tradition, the original icon was brought from Constantinople to Kiev and later transferred to Vladimir in 1155 by Prince Andrei Bogoliubsky, from which it takes its name. Over the centuries it became one of the most venerated Marian images in Russia and was associated with key moments of the nation’s religious history. The panel is executed in egg tempera on wood with levkas and is enriched by a basma and honorific embroidery with iris beads, decorative elements that frame and enhance the sacred subject. The presence of the 19th-century riza adds an additional layer to the work’s material history. The close placement of the faces and the nearly conjoined halos underscore tenderness and maternal protection, characteristic features of Eastern Marian iconography. The icon is delivered with an expert appraisal and a velvet presentation box. Origin: Central Russia. Era: second half of the 18th century; riza 19th century. Technique: egg tempera. Materials: wood, levkas, basma. Dimensions: 31x26 cm.