Α Byzantine icon of the Theotokos Hodegetria (Temple Gallery, London)

Abstract

This icon of the Theotokos Hodegetria is in Hull Collection and comes from the Temple Gallery. The depiction of the Virgin Mary in half-length, turning to the right, with her gaze fixed on the viewer, the manner of the depiction and attitude of Jesus Christ, the rendering of their facial features, the imposingness of the two figures and their movements, the pleats of the clothes and the configuration of the two halos indicate the work of a highly skilled painter. The iconographic and stylistic features of the icon are dated to around 1400.

Keywords

• theotokos hodegetria
• byzantine art
• portable icons
• fourteenth century