Theotokos of Vladimir Icon

This piece revives the canonical form of the Eleusa Vladimirskaia icon, the Byzantine prototype that became the spiritual palladium of medieval Russia in the 12th century. Through the precision of electroforming, the composition acquires a sharply defined bas-relief whose folds and vegetal arabesques echo the ornamental vocabulary of the Palaiologan period. The silver-plated riza envelops the icon almost entirely, leaving only the faces, hands, and feet visible — each highlighted chromatically through warm - toned oil painting.

In the upper register, a radiant metal halo — fully sculpted with elongated, rhythmically spaced rays — suggests the theophany of uncreated light and intensifies the emotional tension characteristic of the Eleusa type, where the Christ Child presses His cheek to that of the Mother. The arched facial profiles and almond-shaped eyes evoke the manner of Komnenian - era Constantinopolitan workshops, here adapted into the intimate scale of a portable miniature.

The gradually profiled frame, crafted from toned oak, adds visual depth and structural stability. The contrast between the dark wood patina and the silver surface enhances the refinement of the chased details and the subtle chromatic transitions of the painted portions.

Through its synthesis of noble materials — silver and hardwood oak — the icon establishes a dialogue between tradition and modern technique: a devotional object intended for private contemplation, yet equally a collectible work capable of bringing the aesthetic sophistication of the Vladimir school into a contemporary setting.