Icons of the Theotokos

Icons of the Mother of God with child are basically one of three types. The variations then of each are then numerous, but they all somehow fall under one of these three icons,

1. Virgin and child with emphasis on Divinity-this type of icon is based on the original Icon painted by the Evangelist Luke and usually is connected to the Hodighitria type, i.e., the Directress of the Way, and with her hand she points toward Jesus. Jesus sits on his mother's arm as if on a throne. He looks like a miniature man in a very adult pose. This icon emphasizes the Divine nature of the Christ even as a child.

2. Virgin and child with emphasis on Humanity-this type of icon, although still depicting a very adult-looking Christ, emphasizes the human attachment and tenderness between Jesus and his mother. These icons usually show the cheeks touching as in the Tenderness and Sweet-kissing icons, or Jesus clinging to his mother such as the Virgin of the Passion (known to Roman Catholics as Our Lady of Perpetual Help) or even a squirming child Jesus in the arms of Mary such as the Pelagontissa Icon. All these depictions emphasize the the human nature, since in the ancient Christian Church one of the earliest theological controversies was about Jesus' humanity and divinity and the relationship between the two. Iconography sought to show through colors the equality between the two by focusing on two types of icons of the Theotokos with child.

3. Virgin and child: Theological image-this Icon is what would be referred to as a dogmatic icon. It depicts a theological reality that is not visible to humanity but rather present in the mind of God. An example of this icon would be the Virgin Platytera, i.e., More Spacious than the Heavens. This Icon depicts the Mother of God with arms outstretched in worship as Jesus is revealed in her womb, expressing the mystery of the incarnation, where the body of Mary contained within her womb, God in Jesus Christ who cannot be contained by even the heavens. There are also other images that are dogmatic icons, many of them the product of Russian monastic schools of iconography.

Icons of the Virgin Eleousa (Tenderness)

In Western Christianity, the icon of the Mother of God of Tenderness, is almost always equated with the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, the treasure of Russia and one of Russia's most venerated icons, although it is actually a product of XIIth century Constantinople. It is also referred to as Our Lady of Tenderness, or as the Mother of God Eleousa. However, «Tenderness» is not a strict translation of the Greek name «Eleousa», because «Eleousa» means "merciful". That's why, in Russia, starting in the XVIth Century, icons of the Mother of God of Tenderness are named Oumilenie, i.e., "of affectionate tenderness".

Even though in both cases (Eleousa and Oumilenie) the faces of Mother and Child are touching affectionately, Eleousa and Oumilenie express two different aspects of the icon of the Mother of God: Eleousa refers to the virtue of Mary, mercy, Oumilenie refers to the sentiment experienced by the Child, following the intervention of his Mother, of affectionate Tenderness. The name Eleousa pertains directly to the Mother, whereas the name Oumilenie pertains to the Child.

With regard to the Mother of God Glykophilousa, she can be considered a more accentuated Eleousa type. In the English language «Glykophilousa» is referred to as the Mother of God 'Sweet-kissing' or as the Mother of God of 'Loving Kindness' : in the Eleousa, the Mother simply accepts the signs of affection demonstrated by the Child, while she is sometimes looking elsewhere. In the Glykophilousa, however, the Virgin Mother is actually caressing the Child. Summing it up we could say that the Eleousa-type can be thought of as to comprise 3 sub-types: the Merciful (Greek: Eleousa), affectionate Tenderness (Russian: Oumilenie), and Sweet Kissing (Greek: Glykophilousa).

Icon of the Theotokos Prototype One

Icon of the Theotokos Prototype Two

Icon of the Theotokos Prototype Three

Bibliography:

Maria Donadeo, Icônes de la Mère de Dieu, Éditions Médiaspaul, Paris, 1987;
Egon Sendler, Les icônes byzantines de la Mère de Dieu, Desclée de Brouwer, Paris, 1992.