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Dormition of the Virgin, The

Painting
Tempera on flat wood with angled base and solid red border. The focal image shows a crowd of males and two angels holding up a deceased Virgin clothes in pink head veil and blue gown flecked with gold leaf. Below her a clean shaven boy in pink tunic and gold cape holds a sword and chases a bearded, handless man in blue tunic with a blue turban and red puff ball atop it. The image is flanked by two pink buildings in the back on a blue background with gold leaf stars. There is an inscription in the upper left corner.

2005.02.071

Panel

Tempera

Betsy Scheuring Icon Collection

2005.02

Betsy Scheuring

Gift

Gift of Betsy Scheuring

19th Century

Ionian Islands, Greece

Icon

Symbol, Religious

Religious Objects

Ceremonial Objects

Category 08: Communication Objects

9-1/2 in

7 in

1-1/4 in

Spirit Made Tangible: The Scheuring Icon Collection (2006)

Cultural/Historical Context

This is a traditional rendering of the Death of the Virgin, in which she lies upon her bier surrounded by Christ in the middle, the Holy Apostles, and angels. As Christ gazes at his mother, he holds a child representing the Virgin’s soul, to be taken to heaven by little angels floating in the sky above. Around Christ is a cone-shaped mandorla, colored orange-red. An architectural setting frames the background, and in the foreground the Archangel Michael cuts off the hands of a Jewish priest who tried to disrupt the gathering; this figure’s wounds were later cured miraculously. The colors are very rich, with lavish gold for haloes, angels’ wings, and stars in the sky. In front of the figures is a barren landscape. The raised border is painted red.

Dormition of the Virgin, The picture number 1