Our Lady of Vladimir
Iconography: Vladimir icon of the Mother of God
Date: XV century. The first third of the 15th century.
Iconographic school/art center: Oklad: The first third of the 15th c. Moscow or Tver.
Origin: From the collection of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. The icon is believed to have been donated to the monastery by Moscow boyar Mikhail Vasilyevich Obraztsov.
Material: Wood, tempera
Setting's material: Chasing, silver , enamel, gilding
Dimensions: height 34,3 cm, width 27 cm
The icon belongs to the iconographic type known as Tenderness (Umilenie). It is derived from the 12th century wonderworking icon of Our Lady of Vladimir but has specific iconographic features which are believed to have maintained the traces of a 14th copy of the icon that did not survive to this day. Among them is the Mother of God’s left hand depicted on the same level with her right hand, and a lack of the Child Christ’s left hand. A specific feature of this icon is the fingers of Jesus Christ’s left hand embracing the Mother of God by the neck. The icon is cased in a silver gilded oklad, stamped on the front side to make the pattern look clearer. The oklad is made simultaneously with the icon. On the upper, and partially on side margins is the seven-figured Deesis (Christ, Theotokos, John the Baptist, the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the Apostles Peter and Paul). On side margins are the full-length figures of Sts. John Chrysostom, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory the Theologian and John the Benignant. On the bottom part of the field are the half-length figures of the great martyrs George the Victorious and Demetreus of Thessaloniki. Kings Solomon and David and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Registration number 4959 ИХО. © The Sergiev Posad State History and Art Museum.
Bibliography:
Русский музей. Государственная Третьяковская галерея. Святая Русь. Альманах. Вып. 302. СПб., 2011. С.139.
General view