Artwork

Piesa are o formă dreptunghiulară având în partea superioară o mică agățătoare metalică; pictura este realizată prin utilizarea pensulei iar tema icoanei este "Maica Domnului cu Pruncul"; culorile folosite sunt: roșu, brun, grena, negru, verde - toate sub o patină accentuată; în partea de sus a picturii sunt câteva caractere chirilice; spatele obiectului de cult prezintă culoarea lemnului natural patinat, o nuanță închisă;

Piesa are o formă dreptunghiulară având în partea superioară o mică agățătoare metalică; pictura este realizată prin utilizarea pensulei iar tema icoanei este "Maica Domnului cu Pruncul"; culorile folosite sunt: roșu, brun, grena, negru, verde - toate sub o patină accentuată; în partea de sus a picturii sunt câteva caractere chirilice; spatele obiectului de cult prezintă culoarea lemnului natural patinat, o nuanță închisă; is a drawing by iconar. It is held in the collection of the "Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum. The work is a rectangular panel painted with a brush, depicting a traditional religious scene of the Mother of God holding the infant.

About this work

Overview

The work is a rectangular panel painted with a brush, depicting a traditional religious scene of the Mother of God holding the infant.

The work is a rectangular panel painted with a brush, depicting a traditional religious scene of the Mother of God holding the infant. The composition is dominated by deep, muted tones—reds, browns, grays, blacks and greens—each covered by a pronounced patina that gives the surface an aged, weathered appearance. A small metal hook is attached to the upper edge, and Cyrillic characters are inscribed near the top.

Subject & Meaning

The iconographic focus is the Virgin Mary with the Child, a central motif in Eastern Christian devotion. The figures are rendered in modest detail, their halos faintly luminous, suggesting a reverent yet subdued spiritual presence. The Cyrillic inscription likely identifies the subject or offers a brief prayer, reinforcing the panel’s liturgical function.

Technique & Style

Executed on a wooden panel, the painting employs a brush technique typical of folk iconography, with layered pigments that have cracked and peeled over time. The color palette is limited to earth tones and subdued greens and reds, all unified by a darkened patina that accentuates the work’s antiquity.

History & Provenance

The panel’s wooden backing retains its natural, darkened hue, indicating it has not been significantly altered since its creation. The presence of the metal hook suggests it was once hung in a church or chapel. No specific date or artist is recorded, but the Cyrillic script and stylistic traits point to an Eastern Orthodox context.

Context

Such icons were integral to devotional practices in Slavic Orthodox communities, serving both as objects of veneration and as visual aids for prayer. The subdued coloration and weathered surface reflect the modest materials and conditions typical of rural ecclesiastical art.