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"The Virgin Panymnitos"
written by Ustinian Tilov
Catalog # 1.9
Medium: tempera on wood.
Hand-made according to the
Bulgarian Iconographic tradition and
techniques.
Possible heights:
A) 19 - 21 cm
B) 25 - 27 cm
C) 38 - 40 cm
As for the width, the proportions of the original icon will
be kept.
Now at the Old Bulgarian Art department of the
National Art Gallery
The Virgin is in the pose known as Eleusa, her right
hand on her breast and her head leaning towards
that of Christ, whom she is holding on her left arm.
His face is pressed against hers, both arms around her
neck. The Virgin is wrapped in a brick-red maphorion
with a gold fringe. There is a blue cap under the
maphorion. Christ wears a light-blue chiton and an
ochre-brown himation with rich gold hatching. His bare
feet are visible under the the himation.
Two angels in reverent poses, their hands wrapped
in their mantles, are turned inwards towards the centre.
There is an airy quality about their garments whic is
very much the result of the skilful use of white.
This manner of treatment is similar to that of two
Grecian icons of the Virgin with the symbols of the
Passion, also painted in the 16 th and 17 th centuries
and now housed at the Greek Institute in Venice, and
of yet another by John Lampardos at the Benaki Museum in Athens.
The face is painted in the familiar way over an
ochre-olive green foundation, with the prominent part lightened by pink ochre which turns to pure pink on the cheeks. White lines highlite the cheek bones and the neck. As a matter of fact it is only the modelling of Christ and the angels that is original. The Virgin's face was repainted at a later date. Only the hands,modelled in the same manner, have been preserved in their original form.