Virgin Mary
unknown
Basic information
Additionally
- Type
- icon
- Genre
- religious
- Plot
- Virgin Hodegetria
Information about author
Object description
An icon is a complex form of painting, both compositionally and technically. The colour, spatial composition of the narrative, and depiction of saints according to an established canon, which originated in the Byzantine tradition and the Renaissance, played an important role and were refined from Baroque to Classicism. In this context, the emergence of Ukrainian iconography took place. The Virgin Mary, known as the Hodegetria, is depicted holding the infant Jesus in her left hand while pointing to him with her right (image size – 66 х 36 cm). With this gesture, she shows the way to God through the worship of the King of the Universe. Despite being an icon of the Mother of God, the central element of the composition is the Saviour, who holds a sphere in his left hand and blesses with his right. Over the centuries, artists maintained the principles of traditional icon painting. One of these is the symbolism of colour. The colour in the icon has a conventional nature and reveals the realm of spiritual essence. The primary colours used are yellow, blue, red, white, and black, which are mixed together. The gold colour (background) symbolises God's light and the Heavenly Kingdom. Red (the enveloping robe of the Virgin Mary) symbolises suffering and victory, hinting at royal lineage (Queen of Heaven). Blue represents the sky and signifies virtue and spiritual purity, consistently featured in icons of the Virgin Mary.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery
