Object ID
2013.5.127
Object Name
Icon
Medium
Oil Paint
Material
Canvas; Wood
Object Entities
Poulos, Peter (is related to)
Mary, (is related to)
Object Description
Icon copy of artist Andreas Ritzos painting of 'The Virgin Enthroned' at Apocalypsis Monastery, Patmos. Original dating to 15th c.. The image is painted on canvas and attached to a wooden background. The piece has a rounded top with a straight rectangular bottom.
The image is painted with a gold background. In the center and the majority of the image is of Mary seated on a throne with baby Jesus in her lap. Her face is very serious and her head is covered by her red cloak. There is a gold lining aroud the edges of the entire cloak and there is also a gold symbol on the center of the front of the head. Under the cloak you can see that her hair is put and wrapped up in blue fabric. There is a halo over her head, it is the same color as the gold background but is defined by a thin red line. Under the body portion of the cloak you can see part of her arms and legs and can see that she is wearing a long sleeve floor length dark blue/green dress. She also is wearing bright red shoes that have small gold star like pattern on it. In her lap is her son, she has her left arm resting on his knee and her right arm on his shoulder.
Jesus, like his mother, has a halo over his head, this one however is more detailed. It is gold with a thin red line surrounding it. Also within it, it seems to have a red cross, however the longer vertical portion of it is covered by Jesus' head. The side of the cross are visible. The left side of the cross has a red dimond shade on it, the side above his head has the letter "W" and to the right "N". He has light brown hair with black detailing to it to show some curl. He has a dark gold cloak wrapped around his body with a dark green under dress. On the under dress there is a red strip that is over his left shoulder that moves downwards till it hits the gold cloak. He is also wearing black strap sandles. His left hand is stretched outwards and his ring finger is touching his thumb. In his right hand he is holding onto a grey cylindar shape object with a thin black "X" shape on the center.
The throne that they are set on is gold. On the top of back rest are green and red fleur de lis with gold detailing on it. The back rest is also paneled and on the very sides has a thin brown rectangle set vertically, under that is an orange cirlce, then another smaller brown rectangle, and then a longer one after that. The seat iself is not cushioned, but there is a long, rounded pillow that Mary is sitting on. Ir is orange with gold coloring used to reflect light and there is a black and gold back that is less than half an inch away from the sides of the pillow. There is a red panel that is under the seat which has a gold floral detail to it, but a good portion of it is covered by Mary's legs. Lastly there are three steps attached to the front of the throne, Mary's legs hang down to the second step.
In the top sides of the Icon are two images of male Saints. The one on the left side is a younger man with light color hair and a full beard. He has a halo around his head that is similar to that of Mary's, all gold with a red line around it. He has a green cloak on over a red under garment. His left are is out stretched and his right is brought close to his body with what looks like a scroll in his hand. The man to the right is older with his head coved with a dark green headpiece and is wearing a red cape. He also has a halo around his head and has a grey beard. Both of his hands are out stretched.
Origin
A Madonna is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is from Italian ma donna, meaning "my lady". No image permeates Christian art as much as the image of the Madonna and child.
While Mary may be referred to as "the Madonna" in other contexts, in art the term is applied specifically to an artwork in which Mary, with or without the infant Jesus, is the focus, and central figure of the picture. Mary and the infant Jesus may be surrounded by adoring angels or worshiping saints. Images that have a narrative content, including those of the many scenes which make up the Life of the Virgin, are not correctly referred to as "Madonnas" but are given a title that reflects the scene such as the Annunciation to Mary.
The Madonna enthroned is a type of image that dates from the Byzantine period and was used widely in Medieval and Renaissance times. These representations of the Madonna and Child often take the form of large altarpieces. They also occur as frescoes and apsidal mosaics. In Medieval examples the Madonna is often accompanied by angels who support the throne, or by rows of saints. In Renaissance painting, particularly High Renaissance painting, the saints may be grouped informally in a type of composition known as a Sacra conversazione.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Icon, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/10744. Accessed 03/18/24.