Item 28
The Mother of God Joy to All Who Suffer
Circa 1800
Egg tempera, gold leaf on wood panel
14” x 11.5”
James and Tatiana Jackson Collection

The prototype for this icon first appeared in 1643 in the Church of the Transfiguration in Moscow. Based on the large number of surviving examples, it is fair to say that this subject was exceedingly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. The icon depicts the crowned Mother of God at center within an aureole atop clouds and holding the crowned infant Christ who delivers a blessing. Suffering humans are gathered on both sides, with angels among them. Depicted at mid-left are half-clothed people representing the naked. At bottom right a seated man holds two long narrow rods (crutches) and represents the sick and crippled. They hold open scrolls upon which is written their petitions “O Most Holy Lady, Mistress, Mother of God, higher than all the angels and archangels, and more honorable than all creatures, you are the help of the injured, hope of the weak, intercessor of the poor, consolation of the sorrowing, feeder of the hungry, clother of the naked, healer of the ill, salvation of sinners, aid and defense of all Christians!” Below the clouds upon which She stands is an inscription commonly found on this icon type, “O all-hymned Mother, bearer of the holiest of holies Word, accept what we offer now, deliver us all from every attack, and deliver from the coming torment all those who cry to you.” Depicted above Mary within a circle of light is the New Testament Trinity. On the right God the Father, at left God the Son and between them a dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit. In addition to the suffering humans, a row of selected saints has been added; most likely they are meaningful in some way to the person who commissioned the icon. From the left they are: The Venerable Gregory Decapolites, the Bishop Saint Theodore, Saint Sergiy Radonezhskiy and Saint Valam Wonderworker of Vagnv. An interesting feature of this icon is the addition of the Kazan Mother of God image found in the upper left corner. The ornately decorated kovcheg (inner border) combined with the highly stylized, clouds, hills and pallet would suggest that this icon was produced in the village of Palekh. Along the top border inscribed in Old Church Slavonic is the title for this icon. It reads “Image of the Most Holy Mother of God Joy to All Who Suffer.”