Antique Russian icon, Theotokos of Tikhvin, 19th century, 13.5x11 in
Antique Russian icon, Theotokos of Tikhvin, 19th century, 13.5x11 in.
The icon of the Mother of God of Tikhvin is one of the most venerated miraculous images in the Russian tradition. According to chronicles, the painting first appeared in 1383 near Novgorod and was reported to have manifested several times before remaining on the bank of the Tikhvinka River, where the Church of the Dormition and, in 1560, the Tikhvin Monastery were later founded. The site became a major centre of devotion, espec...
Info and features
Antique Russian icon, Theotokos of Tikhvin, 19th century, 13.5x11 in.
The icon of the Mother of God of Tikhvin is one of the most venerated miraculous images in the Russian tradition. According to chronicles, the painting first appeared in 1383 near Novgorod and was reported to have manifested several times before remaining on the bank of the Tikhvinka River, where the Church of the Dormition and, in 1560, the Tikhvin Monastery were later founded. The site became a major centre of devotion, especially after it was miraculously spared during the Swedish siege of 1613–1615 through the intercession of the Virgin.
In the 17th century, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the icon was identified with the ancient Byzantine Hodegetria type, reinforcing its spiritual and liturgical importance; its feast was established on 26 June. During the 20th century the icon underwent a long displacement: taken away during the Second World War, the image was kept first in Germany and then in the United States, returning to Russia in 2004.
Iconographically it belongs to the Hodegetria type (“She who shows the Way”): the Virgin indicates the Child Jesus as the true path to salvation. A distinctive detail of this variant is the gesture of Christ, who blesses his Mother with his right hand, emphasising the profound link between the two figures and the mystery of the Incarnation.
Executed in the traditional manner with egg tempera on a panel prepared with levkas, the icon is an important testimony to Russian sacred art and spirituality.
Provenance: Moscow, Russia.
Technique: egg tempera.
Materials: wood, levkas.
Dimensions: 13.5x11.4 in.
Period: mid-19th century.