Oil On Canvas, ‘madonna And Child’ 1850, Eastern Europe

A painting referring to the Madonna Eleusa, also known as the ‘Mother of God of Tenderness’, which shows an undeniable feeling of affection and tenderness between mother and child. Several variants exist and the image presented here shows Mary holding Jesus in her arms with their cheeks touching. Another version to consider is the Glycophilus icon, very similar to the Eleusa, only in this case the baby Jesus, still with his cheeks close together, touches Our Lady's chin with one hand. The meaning intended to be conveyed by these images is the intimate relationship between the two figures and the humanity of the Son. Moreover, Mary's often sorrowful gaze is always emphasised, symbolising the woman's expectation of Christ's suffering. The colours of the entire canvas refer to certain symbologies typical of the iconographic tradition of the Madonna: the green dress that recalls the earth, purity and fertility, the red mantle symbolising love and the golden edges of the mantle symbolising royalty. The stars on the Virgin's mantle symbolise virginity before, during and after the birth. The parchment, on the other hand, held by the infant Jesus is none other than the Word of God. The painting measures 52x71 cm and has a contemporary frame measuring 65x88 cm. It has no signature of the author and the country of origin is uncertain, certainly Eastern Europe. It has been superficially cleaned.