Preview
Creation Date
18th-19th c.?
Geography
Russia
Culture
Tsardom of Rus' or Russian Empire
Medium
Wood, Paint, and Varnish
Dimensions
4 8/15 x 3 5/15 x 7/16 in. (11.4 x 8.5 x 0.9 cm) ‘1.68 oz. (47.9 g)’.
Credit Line
Bequest of David P. Harris ('46), 2020
Accession Number
2020.343
Condition
The object is in fair condition. The paint is chipped in the middle at the bottom and on the right side of the piece. There is also minor chipping in various spots. On the back, a large piece of wood is missing in the top middle.
Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings
The back has three lines of Russian writing in pencil. However, the writing is faded and illegible. On the right side of the back is written ‘62’.
1) От беда страждушик: Ot bed'' strazhdushchikh Bogoroditsy (The God-Bearer (Who Deliverers) Those Who Suffer from Calamity)
2) Утоли печали: Utoli pechali Bogoroditsy (The God-Bearer Who Relieves Sorrow)
3) Only labeled "Meter Theou"
4) Взьсканая погибшъ богородци:Vzyskanaia pogibshikh Bogoroditsy (The God-Bearer Who Reprimands the Lost)
Inscriptions provided by Justin Willson (December 2022).
Description
The icon depicts four scenes of the Virgin interacting with Christ. The Virgin is dressed in red, and green in opposite corners, then yellow in opposing colors to balance the color palette. The top left depicts the Virgin and Child in which Mary is crowned with Christ leaning into her for support. This motif is common within Russian orthodoxy and known as the icon of Deliverance from troubles of the suffering. This icon is used for prayers in instances of family troubles and illness as it is intended to cleanse one of suffering. The Virgin is also pointing at Christ, similar to the Hodegtria emphasizing that Christ gives salvation. Written next to this depiction says “The God-Bearer (Who Deliverers) Those Who Suffer from Calamity.”
The top right icon shows the Virgin supporting Christ as he reads a scroll to the Virgin. She looks at him to show that she is listening. In Russian orthodoxy, this style of icon is known as “assuage my sorrows.” Written next to the depiction in Old Slavonic states, “The God-Bearer Who Relieves Sorrow.”
The bottom left depiction shows the Virgin either impaled or holding a sword, which represents one of the seven sorrows of the Virgin. This depiction shows one sword which represents the Virgin’s sorrow upon viewing Christ’s crucifixion. The sword inflicting the Virgin is meant to be a symbol of Mary’s pain and passion that is shared with the pained Christ. For more information please see: Carol M. Schuler, “The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin: Popular Culture and Cultic Imagery in Pre-Reformation Europe,” Simiolus: Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art 21, no. 1/2 (1992): 5–28. The abbreviations above Mary's head state “Meter Theou” (Mother of God).
The bottom right icon shows a standing Christ being held close to the Virgin's face. She holds the child Christ with both hands. This style of icon is the “Recovery of the Dead” or “Seeking the Lost.” Written next to this depiction in old Slavonic: “The God-Bearer Who Reprimands the Lost.”
Having four separate motifs in which the Virgin communicates with Christ in different ways explains her relationship with Christ and her role as a mediator and comforter.
This icon is assumed to be mass-produced. There are two holes on all four sides of the icon, meaning that it was hung up or nailed into a frame. On the back, there appears to be recent writing in pencil in the modern Russian language.