Greek Orthodox Painter (19th Century) - Portable Triptych With Madonna Hodegetria.

Greek Orthodox Painter (19th century) - Portable Triptych with Madonna Hodegetria and Four Saints.

30.5 x 19 cm (closed), 30.5 x 37 cm (open).

Tempera on panel, fold-out triptych structure.

This travel triptych follows a well-established Byzantine devotional format, intended for the private prayer of clergy, pilgrims, or high-ranking faithful. The three-panel structure — fixed central panel and two hinged wings — allowed the painted surfaces to be folded shut and protected during transport.
The exterior of the wings, visible when the triptych is closed, bears the Greek inscription IC XC / NI KA ("Jesus Christ conquers"), accompanied by a processional cross rising from a trilobed base representing Golgotha. This spare iconographic programme, rendered directly in brushwork on the bare ground, served a clearly apotropaic function and immediately identifies the object as an instrument of Orthodox Christian devotion.
When opened, the central panel depicts the Theotokos in the Hodegetria type ("She Who Shows the Way"): the Virgin, draped in a red-burgundy maphorion, holds the blessing Christ Child. Greek inscriptions identify the figures — ΘΥ (Theou) and IC XC (Jesus Christ). The lateral wings each carry two haloed saints in blue and red robes, identified by partially legible inscriptions, following standard Eastern iconographic conventions.
The vivid palette — ochre, minium red, green, and gold — and the popular character of the painting point to a Greek or Balkan icon workshop of the 19th century, likely active in the Aegean or Ionian area.

Condition report: Original panel. Widespread paint losses, abrasions, and flaking, particularly on the lateral wings. The exterior of the wings shows large areas of bare ground preparation. Consistent patina of age throughout.


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