Mother of God the Burning Bush

Iconography:  Burning Bush, icon of the Mother of God

Date: XVI century. Middle of the 16th century.

Origin: From the church commemorating Mother of God Hodegetria in Rostov.

Material: Wood, levkas, tempera

Dimensions:  height 118 cm, width 89 cm

The center of the icon shows the Mother of God waist-length with the Divine Child in glory. Blessing Christ is sitting on the left hand of the Mother of God as if enthroned. Their colors of their vestment are not usual: the Mother of God is represented in the dark blue “cloudy” omophorion and the Divine Child is dressed in the dark-red chiton resembling the flame of the bush and the ochroid himation with the assist. On the chest of the Holy Virgin against the background of Her clothes can be seen the mount and hexahedral tower inside which is the shoulder-length depiction of Christ in the Episcopal miter. The depiction of Our Lady with the Divine Child is surrounded by the two-color glory formed by the intersection of the two diamonds. At the corners of the red diamond are depicted four apocalyptic beasts. The depictions of the heavenly host are at the corners of the green glory diamond and also in the multicolored segments of the ovals with the wavy edges between the corners of the diamonds. At the four corners of the icon, on the borders are shown the visions of the Old Testament prophets Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel and James.

Inv. И-561. © State Rostov-Yaroslavl Architecture and Art Museum-Reserve

Bibliography: Вахрина В.И. Иконы Ростова Великого. М., 2006. № 52. С. 176-178.

  • General view