Vladimirskaya Mother of God, The

Painting

-

Purdue University Galleries

Name/Title

Vladimirskaya Mother of God, The

Entry/Object ID

2005.02.043

Description

Partially painted wooden panel with cursive script on the back with brass riza, set within larger gilded wood frame (kiot). The kiot is painted red and decorated with golden paint and takes on an onion dome shape at the top. Beneath this is a gold plate with circular engraving designs. The riza is gold in color with encircled floral motifs in each of the four corners and a Cyrillic caption in the bottom center. The riza makes up the rounded decorative halos of Mother and Child, the plain robes of the Child, and the spiral designs on the Mother's robe and head veil. The painting itself shows the Virgin with brown eyes and her head tilted to the left to touch the cheek of her blue eyed son, holding him in her hands.

Type of Painting

Panel

Collection

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

Acquisition

Accession

2005.02

Source or Donor

Betsy Scheuring

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

Made/Created

Date made

circa 1900

Place

Country

Russia

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Inscription

Location

Back of icon

Transcription

Cursive script

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Icon

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Symbol, Religious

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Religious Objects

Nomenclature Class

Ceremonial Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Height

20-1/2 in

Width

11-3/4 in

Exhibition

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

This example closely resembles 2005.02.021 in representing the Mother of God of Tenderness, with the flesh parts of the figures finely shaded. The gold haloes of the Virgin and child overlap, and both display a lacy border. The Virgin’s cloak has a pattern of arabesques, and one sees a fringe at the shoulder and over her brow. Metal rosettes fill the corners of the icon, and a similar motif appears in the curvilinear panel above. The presence of an outer wood frame suggests this icon may have formed part of an iconostasis.