'The Oumilenije Virgin'

Description 'The Oumilenije Virgin'

For this religious triptych, was chosen, as central image, the icon of the virgin Oumilenije, which means in Russian the virgin of tenderness or mercy because of the proximity of the faces with cheek against cheek; this type of icons of the Virgin is better known by its Greek name Eelousa. But in this icon of Mary, there is more than this manifestation of tenderness between the Mother and the Son, because we see the Child Jesus clinging to the veil of his holy Mother with the left hand, while the right hand holds the left hand of Mary or more precisely it seems that the Child Jesus holds the thumb of the hand of the Virgin Mother.
The face of Jesus-Savior manifests a certain fright, a fear to which responds the sadness that we can read on the face of the Mother of God. Thus the whole attitude of Jesus, face, position of hands, highlights the anguish that seals the soul of Christ the Savior. But what is the origin of such anguish?
To understand it, suffice it to say that the icon represented here is only a detail of an icon of the Passion on which we see two angels on both sides of the Virgin Mary who presents the instruments of the Passion to the Child Jesus. Moreover, Jesus' Savior's gaze is directed towards one of these angels.
On the Virgin Mother we can notice two stars one on the forehead and one on the right shoulder; it should have been a third one on his left shoulder, but since Mary's left shoulder is actually hidden by the Child Jesus, this third star could not have been represented. These three stars are the traditional symbol to signify the virginity of the Mother of God before, during and after the birth of Christ.
This icon of Mary which is at the center of this religious triptych, is surrounded by two apostles, St. Thomas and St. Matthew on the left and saint whose original icons are visible by going to the following pages:
Saint Thomas Icon
Icon of Saint Matthew