Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" with patron saints, 20th century

Egg tempera on panel

Height x width: 35.5 x 30 cm

The visual and dogmatic focal point of the panel is dominated by the monumental figure of the Virgin, who stands full-length at the center atop a mystical white cloud. Mary wears a sumptuous dark maphorion (mantle) with geometric folds highlighted in gold; she bears a gem-encrusted imperial crown upon her head and holds the infant Jesus—who is also crowned and dressed in a bright red tunic—on her left arm. Radiating from behind the Mother is a brilliant, oval-shaped mandorla of orange and red light, traversed by countless golden rays that symbolize divine grace. Flanking this epiphany, arranged in two symmetrical wings, are groups of the afflicted, the sick, and the destitute, reaching out their hands in search of solace. They are comforted by winged angelic figures moving among them, carrying long, unrolled white scrolls inscribed with promises of relief in Old Church Slavonic. To further elevate the theological and devotional significance of the work, the iconographer has included four prominent figures of the Orthodox Church on either side of the Virgin—among them Saints Cosmas and Damian—as well as, on the right, the hieratic figure of Saint Nicholas of Myra, clad in white and red episcopal vestments and holding a closed Gospel book. In the upper section, above the mandorla of the Virgin, the scene opens onto the Trinitarian realm: from a dense expanse of pure white clouds emerges the figure of God the Father (the "Ancient of Days") in the act of blessing; He is draped in white robes and adorned with a triangular halo, keeping watch over the Virgin’s intercession. From a strictly formal perspective, the icon demonstrates the extraordinary technical mastery characteristic of the renowned workshops of Central Russia (such as Palekh or Mstera). The faces of the numerous figures are rendered with extreme, miniature-like finesse—featuring soft transitions of light and shadow alongside remarkably sharp, precise lines—while the cloaks and garments, dominated by vibrant shades of cinnabar red, ochre, and deep green, are adorned throughout with delicate golden highlights (assist) that make the light shimmer across the surface. The complex, dense composition, combined with the impeccable state of preservation of the paint layer—which retains the brilliance of the original pigments—marks this piece as an object of immense collector value and profound spiritual intensity, originally commissioned by a sophisticated patron to serve as a monumental source of protection and consolation within the home.