The Protection of the Mother of God 16th century

This icon, "The Protection of the Mother of God," employs tempera and gesso on wood, and its construction centers on a symmetrical arrangement that draws the eye upward. The composition is neatly divided into distinct registers, the earthly and the divine, each populated by figures with elongated forms and solemn expressions. Note how the anonymous artist uses line and shape, not to create illusionistic depth, but to delineate symbolic space. The Mother of God stands centrally, framed by an architectural setting that seems to hover ambiguously between interior and exterior. The texture, created by the craquelure of the aged surface, adds another layer to the work’s visual language, disrupting a fixed meaning while reminding us of its physical presence. These formal qualities converge to create a complex interplay, prompting ongoing interpretation.