Venetian Virgin And Child, Tempera On Panel, 15th-16th Century

Virgin Hodegetria – Venetian icon, tempera on panel, 15th-16th century
Framed in a precious 14th-century carved and gilded Gothic frame, this remarkable icon depicts the Virgin Hodegetria, literally "she who shows the way," an iconographic typology originating from the Byzantine world, here reinterpreted by a northern Italian workshop, most likely from the Veneto-Cretan sphere of the late 15th or early 16th century. This type of representation, still deeply rooted in the Byzantine tradition, established itself in Venice as one of the most popular devotional motifs, disseminated throughout the Mediterranean trade routes.

The Virgin Mary, slightly inclined towards the child, presents a pose full of tenderness, with a gentle and serious gaze turned toward the faithful. Christ, in stylized imperial attire, blesses with his right hand, while holding a scroll in his left hand—a symbol of the Word.
Format: H. 33 cm x W. 31 cm (dimensions with frame).
Condition: Good overall condition, visible wear to the gilded background, consistent with its age; some older restorations. Framing: Exceptional 14th-century Italian Gothic frame, in carved and gilded wood with rosette motifs, perfectly suited to the work, of very high museum quality.
Pigments: Traditional use of vermilion, red ochre, malachite green, and real gold. Spine: Presence of a central reinforcement, marks of ancient wood-eating, missing in a lower corner, authentic patina.

This work is part of the Italo-Byzantine tradition specific to the Veneto-Cretan milieu under Venetian rule, where artists trained in the Byzantine tradition gradually introduced more Western elements: softer faces, slightly more modeled volumes, more animated drapery.

The icon retains the traditional inscriptions: "MP ΘΥ" (Μήτηρ Θεοῦ) – "Mother of God" – in Greek, testifying to the persistence of Orthodox culture in the Latin repertoire. This rare piece illustrates the stylistic transition between the pure Byzantine tradition and the Western evolution of the nascent Renaissance. A precious testimony to the exchanges between East and West, this icon is an important milestone in the study of Marian iconography in the Mediterranean. It bears the imprint of the Cretan School and pre-Cinquecento Venetian painting, illustrating the synthesis between two artistic worlds.

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