Russia, ca. 19th century CE. A lovely rendition of "Our Lady of the Don," a 14th century Eleusa icon representing the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, painted in egg tempera and gold leaf on wood, with red Cyrillic lettering identifying the figures. Here we see the traditional endearing scene of Mary cradling the Christ Child, both figures with expressive visages and pantomime-like gestures derived from the Byzantine style that dramatically express their undeniable bond. This example also includes a depiction of Mary's mother Saint Anne, of a much smaller scale, looking on the Virgin and Child from the left. Note how Saint Anne's body seems to float in space; this was a device used by Byzantine artists to symbolize figure's holiness and ethereal nature in paintings and mosaics. The origins of "our Lady of the Don" continue to be explored. It is believed that Theophanes the Greek painted the original (ca. 1382-1395 CE) which is currently in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. A book from the Donskoy Monastery states that "Our Lady of Don" was intended as a gift from Don Cossacks to Dmitry Donskoy, presented the day prior to the Battle of Kulikovo (1380). The former existence of back slats indicates that this example dates prior to the 1880s. Size: 12.25" L x 10.75" W (31.1 cm x 27.3 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Estate of M. Reiniger, Chicago, IL

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#111582

Expected surface wear with areas of crazing, remains of dripping wax from prayer use, areas of possible in-painting, some losses to wood particularly at peripheries.