Description
Of all the Eastern Christian icons, the "Theotokos of Vladimir" (from the Greek word Theotokos meaning "God bearer") is one of the most beloved and well known not only among Eastern Orthodox Christians, but also in the West. Even St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, London, has a copy of this icon in its Nave.
This Orthodox Icon of Our Lady is a medieval Byzantine icon of the Virgin and Child. In 1169 Yury Dolgorukiy sacked the city of Kiev, and after plundering the city, stealing much religious artwork, including the Byzantine "Mother of God" icon which was transferred to Vladimir. It is one of the most venerated Orthodox icons and a fine and early example of the iconography of the Eleusa (tenderness, mercy) type. The Theotokos (Greek for Virgin Mary, literally meaning "Birth-Giver of God") is regarded as the holy protectress of Russia. The icon is displayed in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow in a former church in the grounds of the museum. Her feast day is June 23rd according to the Julian calendar and July 6 according to the Gregorian calendar. Even more than most famous Christian Orthodox icons, the original has been copied repeatedly for centuries, and many copies have considerable artistic and religious significance of their own. The icon is a version of the Eleusa (tenderness) type, with the Christ child snuggling up to his mother's cheek.
Unlike some icons with a special following in religious terms the high artistic quality of the work is universally agreed, and the Vladimirskaya, as Russians call it, is generally accepted as the finest of the few Byzantine icons surviving from its period, and according to the art historian David Talbot Rice "is admitted by all who have seen it to be one of the most outstanding religious paintings of the world". The icon of the Theotokos of Vladimir is sometimes described as expressing universal feelings of motherly love and anxiety for her child. Like some other icons it was believed to have been painted by St Luke from its living subjects. The venerated image was used in celebration of coronations of tsars, elections of patriarchs, and other important ceremonies of state.
The icon has three feast days: May 21, June 23, and August 26.
Details
Month: |
May |
Month: |
June |
Month: |
August |
Ratio: |
1x1.33 |
Ratio: |
Portrait |
Delivery & Returns
PRODUCTION
Our icons are hand-crafted and made-to-order. Allow time for production. Please note that your chosen shipping method does not include production time. (For example, if you select 2 day shipping, your order will be delivered 2 days after it ships, not 2 days after the order is placed.) Please visit our Shipping FAQ page for more information about how long you can expect production to take.
SHIPPING
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations. Also note that we ship international orders DDU. When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page. Click here to learn more about shipping.
RETURN POLICY
We allow returns for many of our items, but restrictions apply. Please visit our Return Policy page for more information.
Customer Reviews
-
Thank you Legacy icons!
My family was left astonished with the quality of this absolutely gorgeous icon! The service is top notch, the shipment arrived sooner than expected, couldn't be happier with the icon :) .
-
Beautiful
Beautiful icon. I bought this as a gift for someone & they loved it. Thank you!
-
Beautiful!!!
The most beautiful icon of The Mother of God I’ve ever purchased. The quality and colors are excellent!
-
Inspirational
Beautiful quality icon-fast shipping
-
Exactly as I expected!
Best quality.
