Oil On Wood, Virgin Of Kazan To The Savior Child Of The World - Venetian Crest, 17st

This icon depicts the Virgin Hodegetria, a traditional Byzantine type in which the Virgin Mary gestures toward the Christ Child as “the way.” She is clothed in a red mantle adorned with stylized gold motifs, symbolizing her royalty and purity. The Christ Child, seated on her left arm, blesses with his right hand and holds a globus cruciger in his left—symbolizing his divine authority over the world.

Two archangels (likely Gabriel and Michael) appear in the upper corners, floating among clouds. The elongated and solemn figures, combined with the dark background, are characteristic of the Cretan school during the late Renaissance—a fusion of traditional Byzantine iconography with Western (especially Venetian) influences.

The inscriptions (including “IΣ XΣ”, the Greek abbreviation for “Jesus Christ”) confirm the icon’s Orthodox authenticity.

School : Cretan

Estimated Date : Around 1600

Technique : Tempera on wood panel, with (partially lost) gilding, dark background

Dimensions : 60 x 42,5 cm
Condition : Visible wear, vertical cracks in the wood, paint loss in the lower section