Icon - Mother of God Hodegetria - Wood
06
days
01
hour
44
minutes
30
seconds
Starting bid
€ 1
No reserve price
Expert
Selected by Clément Floch
Has 20 years of experience trading curios, including 15 years with a leading French dealer.
Estimate € 170 - € 200
No bids placed
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 141384 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Description from the seller
Ancient Russian icon – Theotokos Odigitria with the Child, 20th century
Important Russian devotional icon, dated to the 20th century, depicting the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus, in the traditional iconography of the Mother of God Odigitria, i.e. the “One who shows the Way.”
The Virgin is depicted frontally, with the severe, meditative expression typical of Eastern iconographic tradition. She wears the characteristic dark maphorion, richly animated by gilded highlights and details, while the Child, placed on the Mother’s arm, is shown with a benedictive gesture and with the scriptural roll in his hand. The composition maintains a strong hieratic bearing, in which the frontal stance of the figures and the solemnity of their gazes constitute the main elements of the sacred representation.
Particularly interesting is the gilded background, created according to the tradition of Eastern icons, on which two small angelic figures are inserted in the upper part. The golden halos emphasize the celestial dimension of the figures and create an effective contrast with the dark tones of the Virgin’s maphorion and with the red of the Child’s garment.
The panel presents a painting characterized by deep color fields, graphic highlights, and linear brushwork, elements that recall the tradition of nineteenth-century Russian icon-painting workshops. Signs of time are visible: craquelure, abrasions and localized losses of the painted surface, coherent with the age and with the work’s conservation history.
The presence of inscriptions in Cyrillic and Greek characters completes the traditional layout of the image. The panel also retains an ancient and authentic patina, particularly evident along the edges and on the gilded background.
The work constitutes an interesting example of late Russian sacred art, originally intended for private devotion or veneration in a religious setting. The figurative language, while tied to Byzantine models and to the tradition of Russian icons, shows the greater pictorial freedom characteristic of nineteenth-century production.
Period: 20th century
Origin: Russia, Orthodox iconographic sphere
Technique: tempera/paint on panel, gilded background
Subject: Theotokos Odigitria with the Child
There are color losses and small scratches; please study the photos carefully
Careful and traceable shipping
Ancient Russian icon – Theotokos Odigitria with the Child, 20th century
Important Russian devotional icon, dated to the 20th century, depicting the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus, in the traditional iconography of the Mother of God Odigitria, i.e. the “One who shows the Way.”
The Virgin is depicted frontally, with the severe, meditative expression typical of Eastern iconographic tradition. She wears the characteristic dark maphorion, richly animated by gilded highlights and details, while the Child, placed on the Mother’s arm, is shown with a benedictive gesture and with the scriptural roll in his hand. The composition maintains a strong hieratic bearing, in which the frontal stance of the figures and the solemnity of their gazes constitute the main elements of the sacred representation.
Particularly interesting is the gilded background, created according to the tradition of Eastern icons, on which two small angelic figures are inserted in the upper part. The golden halos emphasize the celestial dimension of the figures and create an effective contrast with the dark tones of the Virgin’s maphorion and with the red of the Child’s garment.
The panel presents a painting characterized by deep color fields, graphic highlights, and linear brushwork, elements that recall the tradition of nineteenth-century Russian icon-painting workshops. Signs of time are visible: craquelure, abrasions and localized losses of the painted surface, coherent with the age and with the work’s conservation history.
The presence of inscriptions in Cyrillic and Greek characters completes the traditional layout of the image. The panel also retains an ancient and authentic patina, particularly evident along the edges and on the gilded background.
The work constitutes an interesting example of late Russian sacred art, originally intended for private devotion or veneration in a religious setting. The figurative language, while tied to Byzantine models and to the tradition of Russian icons, shows the greater pictorial freedom characteristic of nineteenth-century production.
Period: 20th century
Origin: Russia, Orthodox iconographic sphere
Technique: tempera/paint on panel, gilded background
Subject: Theotokos Odigitria with the Child
There are color losses and small scratches; please study the photos carefully
Careful and traceable shipping
Details
Era
1900-2000
Iconography
Mother of God Hodegetria
Number of objects
1
Material
Wood
Country of origin
Russia
Height
25 cm
Width
16 cm
Depth
2 cm
Condition
Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes
Style
Antique
Estimated period
the 20th century
Sold by
