Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Triptych Icon of the Virgin and Child with Saints
The center of this exquisite triptych (three-paneled icon) shows the Virgin holding the Christ Child and pointing toward him with her right hand. This portrait type of the Virgin is known as "Hodegetria," named after a famous icon in the Hodegon monastery in Constantinople, believed in the Middle Ages to have been painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist. On the wings, two pairs of unnamed saints pay homage to the Virgin and Child. Barely visible traces of pigment and gold remain on this triptych, indicating that it was once brightly colored. The panels of the triptych were cut down at some point, and the wings and central section do not align perfectly, suggesting that this object might be the result of two earlier pieces being joined together.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Heinrich von Hofstätter, Bishop of Passau; Gnadenkapelle, Altötting, Bavaria, 1867, by gift; Tycon and Smith, Paris, 1905, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1929, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2000-2001 | The Mother of God: Representations of the Virgin in Byzantine Art. Benaki Museum, Athens. |
| 1998-2001 | Highlights from the Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1997 | The Glory of Byzantium. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. |
| 1983-1984 | Ivory: The Sumptuous Art. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1947 | Early Christian and Byzantine Art. Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 9/10/1982 | Examination | other |
| 7/6/1989 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Geographies
Turkey, Istanbul (Constantinople) (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Overall H: 4 3/4 x W: 9 3/16 x D: 3/8 in. (12 x 23.4 x 0.9 cm); Proper left panel: H: 4 5/16 x W: 2 3/16 x D: 3/16 in. (10.9 x 5.6 x 0.5 cm); Middle panel: H: 4 3/4 x W: 4 9/16 x D: 3/8 in. (12 x 11.6 x 0.9 cm); Proper right panel: H: 4 5/16 x W: 2 1/4 x D: 3/16 in. (11 x 5.7 x 0.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1929
Location in Museum
Centre Street: Third Floor: Byzantine, Russian, and Ethiopian Icons
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
71.158