Russia, 19th century, Icon; Madonna and Child with donor

Russia, 19th century Icon; Madonna and Child with donor Tempera on panel, 52 x 40 cm   The icon, from the Greek eikon, meaning image, presents the narrative of certain episodes from the life of the Virgin and Jesus, constituting a treatise on theology in colors. The peculiarity of icons is already evident in the preparation of the support on which they are painted. The wooden panel itself is a symbol of the cross, while the canvas is a symbol of the mandylion, the veil of Veronica, or the Shroud; the gesso spread on the canvas, the levkas, is a symbol of stone. Icons were painted on wooden panels, generally made of linden, larch, or fir. On the inner side of the panel, a recess, called a "coffer" or "ark," was usually made, leaving a raised frame on the edges. An icon is not a personal interpretation but a rite with precise canons to be respected; unlike paintings, whose author's name is often known, the icon must remain anonymous. Theology considered icons to be works of God himself, executed through the hands of the iconographer. In the icon under examination, we find a recurring depiction of the Madonna and Child, in this case enriched by the figure of the donor/benefactor who is indicated by the hand of Christ.