#hodegetria

Mary and the child depicted as a hodegetria. Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai. Tesselated icon in monumental style (early 13th century)

Byzantine icon of the Madonna (Theotokos) and Child, of the type known as Hodegetria (Our Lady of the Way): Mary gestures toward the infant Christ, who in turn raises his hand in a sign of blessing. The type originated in a now lost icon from the Monastery of the Panagia Hodegetria in Constantinople that was said to have been painted by St. Luke. This example, by an unknown artist, dates to the 14th century and is in the MUZA, Valletta, Malta.

"Hodegetria", gouache and ink on paper, 30 x 40 cm

The icon of the Virgin Hodegetria that you see in the picture is made with tempera on wood, but it is a riza, also called oklad, that distinguishes it from other images. Such metal covers serve three functions: they protect icons from candles and prevent the darkening of the surface; they direct the focus of a viewer; and, finally, they make icons more valuable because covers are often embellished with semi-precious or precious stones and pearls. The featured antique icon was sold for €2,000 by the Scandinavian auction house Bukowskis. 

Ukraine

Hodegetria of Smolensk, also known as Our Lady of Smolensk, was painted in c. 1500 by Dionisius, an icon painter of the 15th and 16th centuries. It is an iconographic depiction of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus in her arms. Nowadays, the icon is held in the State Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg. Dionisius’ version of the Theotokos of Smolensk stands as an example of refined icon painting technique and rich symbolism. The original icon of the Hodegetria type, however, is believed to have been lost long ago.

Antique icon of the Theotokos of Smolensk, also known as Virgin Hodegetria. This version was painted in 1482 by Dionisius, the most prominent icon painter of the Moscow school. The icon depicts the Mother of God holding the Child Christ and pointing to Him as the source of salvation for all humankind. Virgin Hodegetria is one of the most venerated icons in the Orthodox Church, with a great number of copies around the world.