Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir Tenderness Orthodox Icons

The painting depicts a religious icon of the Virgin Mary (Mother of God) holding the infant Jesus. The Virgins face is bowed, and she nuzzles the child. The infant Jesus is reaching up to touch his mothers cheek with his left hand, while holding a scroll in his right. Both figures have halos, indicating their divine status. The Virgin is dressed in a dark red garment, and the infant is swaddled in a light-colored cloth with gold accents. The background is a muted green, and there are inscriptions in an archaic script above and to the sides of the figures.
The subtext of this icon, known as Our Lady of Tenderness or Eleusa, is the profound and intimate maternal love between the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The tender gaze and the gentle embrace symbolize the deep emotional bond and the human aspect of divinity. The infants gesture of caressing his mothers face emphasizes his love for her and his humanity, while still acknowledging his divine nature through the scroll, often representing divine wisdom or the Word of God. The icon is a powerful representation of compassion, motherly devotion, and the sacred connection between mother and child, serving as a focal point for prayer and spiritual contemplation for believers.