029 

Icon: Tolgskaya Mother of God

The icon of the Tolgskaya Mother of God originates from a vision that bishop Prochor had on the banks of the Tolga river near Yaroslavl in 1341. In the same year Prochor build a monastery, where this icon was treasured and given the name of Tolgskaya. This icon is now in the museum of Yaroslavl.

The icon is one of loving-kindness (Oumileinye), the emphasis is on the emotional bonding between Mother and Child. It is almost a mirror image of the Vladimirskaya. What is on the right side of one icon, is on the left side of the other. The Vladimirskaya is the most known type, while the Tolgskaya is rather rare.

The ivory colored gesso is visible in the background. Striking is the strong red color of the tunic of the Child, which harmonizes with the borders of the maphorion of the Mother of God. The Child seeks the attention of the Mother, but she seems to be deep in thought.

The icon has a double kovcheg. The recessed central area for the image is called kovcheg (Ковчег)