Virgin Mary

In this incredible icon, the Theotokos is depicted wearing the royal robes and crown of the Queen Mother. This points to her unique role as the Mother of the King, Jesus Christ our God. Off

This stunning Ethiopian icon depicts the Virgin Enthroned accompanied by angels. Part of a historic genre of icons in the East and West featuring the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) being honored by her Son...

The Theotokos of Kazan has been popular in Russia since the 16th century. The wonderworking original of this icon traveled from Constantinople to Russia in the 13th century. It disappeared when the...

In the Eastern Christian tradition, each day of the week is dedicated to special remembrances. This unique 18th century Russian icon portrays each day's commemoration: Sunday: the Resurrection,...

This detail from the famous Hagia Sophia mosaic features the Theotokos in a Deesis (Supplication) pose. The mosaic was completed in the 13th century.  The Hagia Sophia iconography is some of the...

The hodigitria (guide) genre of icons features Christ sitting on the Virgin's lap. Her hands point to her Son in a gesture of humility, guiding the viewer to look to Him. This particular icon is a...

This historic Greek icon depicts the Theotokos and Christ Child within the traditional “Unfading Flower” genre. The Theotokos is crowned and wearing deep blue and red, commemorating her purity and...

The feast of the Protection celebrates the appearance of the Mother of God at Blachernae in the 10th century, when she appeared and spread her veil over the church, saving the city from invasion...

The Mother of God has long been associated with Moses' burning bush, which held God but was not burned up. This icon is a symbolic representation of this idea. The Theotokos is surrounded by ranks...

This 19th century Russian icon features Christ Pantocrator (Almighty) in the center, with the Theotokos Virgin Mary and John the Baptist on either side. These holiest of saints are always nearest...

This unique Deësis (supplication) icon is from an iconostasis from the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow. Known as the Suzdal Deësis, it was painted in the 13th century. It features a simple Deësis row...

In icons of this type, Our Lady appears directly facing the viewer with her hands raised in the orans (prayer) position. This is the moment of her conception of Christ at the Annunciation, as He is...

This icon depicts the Virgin holding Christ, Who holds her in a sweet embrace. Archangels Michael and Gabriel offer their praise and worship. This Russian icon dates from the 18th century.

This icon depicts the Virgin Mary worshiping her Son, Jesus Christ, as he hangs on the Cross. Her hands are crossed in a gesture of worship and prayer. It was painted in Russia in the 19th century,...

Inspired by one of the hymns of the Great Compline service, this icon depicts the Mother of God making intercession before her Son on behalf of those who need help, in particular: the cold and...

This beautiful illuminated manuscript is an incredible example of early Western iconography. It comes from the 9th century "Book of Kells," an illuminated Gospel book produced in Ireland. The...

The hodigitria (guide) genre of icons features Christ sitting on the Virgin's lap. Her hands point to her Son in a gesture of humility, guiding the viewer to look to Him. This particular icon was...

This beautiful historical icon depicts the Theotokos Enthroned holding Christ and sharing a sweet embrace. The anonymous 13th century iconographer includes worshipful angels and ornate decorations...

The original Kursk Root Icon is one of the most famous icons of the Russian Church, dating to the 13th century. It is an icon of the Theotokos "of the Sign" and features around the border nine...

The first Great Feast of the ecclesiastical year, the Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8) is also the first Great Feast of our salvation. The Mother of God is born to Saint Anna, after a...

The hodigitria (guide) genre of icons features Christ sitting on the Virgin's lap. Her hands point to her Son in a gesture of humility, guiding the viewer to look to Him. This particular icon is...

The hymn All Creation Rejoices in Thee is part of the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, and was written by St. John of Damascus. (He appears in this icon, to the left of the Theotokos, presenting his...

This fresco from the Slivnichki Monastery in Macedonia is part of a series based on the Akathist Hymn. The scene depicts the Theotokos as the Burning Bush of Moses. In the words of the Akathist...

The Theotokos of Kazan has been popular in Russia since the 16th century. The wonderworking original of this icon traveled from Constantinople to Russia in the 13th century. It disappeared when the...

This unique historical icon of the Annunciation is from the 10th century Bamberg Psalter. The Archangel Gabriel was sent from God to greet the Virgin, saying, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord...

This beautiful Russian icon depicts the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church Calendar, featuring the 12 Great Feasts around its perimeter with Pascha (Easter) in the center. Reproduced from the 18th...

The Mother of God has long been associated with Moses' burning bush, which held God but was not burned up. This icon is a symbolic representation of this idea. The Theotokos is surrounded by ranks...

The eleusa (tenderness) genre of icons has Christ embracing His Mother tenderly in a gesture of love. Her hand points to her Son in a gesture of humility and deference to Him as God. This 18th...

The Playing Child (or Pelagonitissa in Greek) icon features the Christ Child playing actively in the arms of His Mother. His back is to the viewer, with His hand stretched up to lovingly touch the...

This fresco from the Slivnichki Monastery in Macedonia is part of a series based on the Akathist Hymn. The scene depicts the Theotokos standing in the midst of expert orators and wizened...

This beautiful icon was painted in Constantinople in the mid-to-late 13th century. The Theotokos looks to her Son, Jesus, who gives a blessing with His right hand, and whose stance evokes the idea...

This 16th century Russian icon is known as the Unsleeping Eye (Nedremannoe Oko). It depicts Christ Emmanuel, as a youth, reclining on a bed in Paradise, represented in iconography as a white...

From the earliest period of Christianity, the faithful have portrayed Christ and His mother the Theotokos in veneration. Painted by the hand of Vladmir Grygorenko, this icon set of Christ and the...

The hodigitria (guide) genre of icons features Christ sitting on the Virgin's lap. The mother’s hands point to her Son in a gesture of humility, guiding the viewer to look to Him.

According to Christian tradition, when the Virgin Mary was about nine months old, her mother Anna wanted to see if she was able to stand. To her amazement, the infant was able to take seven steps...

  Outside the city of Constantinople, there was a sacred spring dedicated to the Virgin Mary. A monastery grew up there in the 5th century, and over time the spring was overgrown by a grove of trees...

This historic Russian icon features the Theotokos holding Christ, as two Angels hold the instruments of the Passion. Christ leans toward his mother, grasping her hand with both hands, as if in fear...

The Church has received the  tradition of the Dormition (death) and Assumption into heaven of the Mother of God from the ancient Fathers of the Church. This 15th century icon of the feast features...

This beautiful 16th century Deësis (Supplication) row features the distinctive bright blue of northern Russian icons of the 16th century. The figures feature a distinctive Novgorod influence in...

  The hodegetria (guide or directress) genre of icons features Christ sitting on the Virgin's lap. Her hands point to her Son in a gesture of humility, guiding the viewer to look to Him. This icon...