19th Century Russian Iconographer, Mother Of God Joy Of All The Afflicted

19th century Russian iconographer

Mother of God joy of all the afflicted
Egg tempera on wood, cm. 17.6x14.5

Moscow region, mid-19th century

In good general condition, as evident from the attached photographs.

This type of icon has been highly venerated in the Russian tradition, starting from the 17th century. It belongs to the type of icons called hymnographic, since they are inspired by hymns in honor of the Madonna; in particular to the Akathistos, a Marian hymn from the 5th century, which celebrates the Virgin with extremely poetic names.

The Virgin is represented full-length, holding the blessing Christ child in her arms; both enclosed in a mandorla, and is surrounded by hosts of suffering people and angels. On the left, in the middle of the icon, the naked are depicted, and the sick are depicted at the bottom. The afflicted hold scrolls on which the supplications addressed by them to the Mother of God are written: "Holy Lady, Mother of God, superior to the Angels and Archangels, more honorable than all creatures, you are the help of those who are wounded, the hope of the weak, the intercession of the poor, the consolation of the sad, the nurse of the hungry, the one who dresses the naked, the healer of the sick, the salvation of sinners, the help and defense of all Christians". Above the sufferers, a group of Saints is painted, which can vary depending on the person who commissioned the icon. The iconography just described is specific to the Moscow area.