Title: Icon of “Panagia Hodegetria” (The Guide) Author: Viktor Kravtsov (hand-painted, 2023) Style: Byzantine iconographic tradition with a distinct artistic touch.
Specifications:
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Size: 28×32 cm
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Iconography: Hodegetria type, where the Virgin points with her right hand to Christ as the true Way to salvation.
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Materials: Gold leaf (background and halos), natural pigments, wooden panel.
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Features: The faces are rendered in a solemn, canonical manner. The Virgin is dressed in a traditional dark maphorion with gold trim and pearl ornaments. The Christ Child holds the Gospel, symbolizing His teachings.
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Inscriptions: Canonical Greek abbreviations “MP ΘY” and the monogram “IC XC”.
Spiritual Significance:
The Hodegetria icon is a symbol of spiritual guidance. The Virgin acts as a Guide, helping believers find their path to God by pointing to her Son as the Savior of the world.