The image of Virgin Mary is one of the most venerated ones. She was often painted on various Orthodox icons, and artisans copied those icons and spread them all over Russia. This Our Lady of the Sign is a copy from the Novgorod icon of the same name.
Our Lady of the Sign
Creation period
ΧVII century (restored in the ΧIΧ century)
Dimensions
28,5x24 cm
28.5х24х2.7 cm
28.5х24х2.7 cm
Technique
Tempera and painting on wood
Collection
Exhibition
3
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Unknown Author
Our Lady of the Sign
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In the icon, we can see the Holy Virgin with her hands raised towards the sky. This is an ancient canonical gesture in the Orthodox traditions that symbolizes the intercession for people to the Lord. This iconographic type got the name of Oranta, which means praying in Greek.
On the Virgin’s chest, there is an oval medallion with the figure of baby Jesus Christ painted on it. The shape of the medallion and God the Son on it is a sign that alludes to the future birth of a marvelous baby that would save the mankind. On the Virgin’s forehead and shoulders, we can see three stars that symbolize virginity and immaculacy.
On the Virgin’s chest, there is an oval medallion with the figure of baby Jesus Christ painted on it. The shape of the medallion and God the Son on it is a sign that alludes to the future birth of a marvelous baby that would save the mankind. On the Virgin’s forehead and shoulders, we can see three stars that symbolize virginity and immaculacy.
The Savior’s left arm is covered with a himation, a mantle that was put over other clothes. With his right hand, he makes a gesture of blessing (the ring finger and the little finger are pressed against the thumb).
The name Our Lady of the Sign entrenched even stronger after the miraculous salvation of the city of Veliky Novgorod where the original of the icon was kept. In 1170, Andrei Bogolyubsky, the prince of Vladimir, gathered his allies’ troops and besieged the Novgorod fortress. The citizens started to pray for rescue from the enemy. On the third day of the siege, John, the bishop of the city, received a sign: he heard a voice that ordered him to take Our Lady’s icon and consecrate the walls of the fortress.
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While the bishop walked around the fortress, an arrow launched by the enemy hit the Holy Virgin’s face, and tears appeared on the icon. After that, Andrei Bogolyubsky’s troops started panicking and drew in hastily. The people of Novgorod ran after them and defeated the enemy. To commemorate the miraculous rescue, a festivity dedicated to Our Lady was established, which received the same name as the icon, The Sign.
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The predominant colors of the icon are red, blue, and golden. The red color reminds of the blood shed by Jesus Christ. The blue is the symbol of divine protection and God the Father’s support, as well as of acceptance of the Savior to heaven after his death on the cross. The golden color, in Christianity, symbolizes holiness and regality.
The Iskitim Municipal Museum of Arts and History bought a copy of this icon from a collector from Novosibirsk in 1986. Before that, the icon was kept in the Kazan monastery in the village of Sviyazhsk. Our Lady of the Sign was painted on wood; the author’s name remained unknown. The icon was created in the XVII century and restored in the XIX century.
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Iskitim Municipal Museum of Arts and History
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Our Lady of the Sign
Creation period
ΧVII century (restored in the ΧIΧ century)
Dimensions
28,5x24 cm
28.5х24х2.7 cm
28.5х24х2.7 cm
Technique
Tempera and painting on wood
Collection
Exhibition
3
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