Icon of the Virgin and Child
Woven from more than 20 colors of woolen thread, this rare tapestry was more expensive than a painting when it was made. The historical price reflected contemporary viewers’ appreciation for the skilled color blending by the weavers. Hung on a wall, this tapestry allowed viewers to venerate (honor) the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child in the Christian Orthodox church. Angels and apostles surround them, their names written in Greek. To be spiritually effective, an icon (devotional image) should follow its subject’s established visual tradition as closely as possible.
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Medium
- wool and dye
- Dimensions
- overall: height 1.787 m, width 1.105 m; mounted: height 1.974 m, width 1.282 m, depth 0.064 m
- Origin
- Egypt, Byzantine period
- Department
- Textiles
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Madonna and Child Both · 99%
The museum identifies the subject as the Virgin and Child, and the image visibly shows a haloed mother holding a child at the center.
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Deities and Holy Figures Both · 97%
The catalog identifies the Virgin Mary, Christ Child, angels, and apostles; the image shows a central sacred group surrounded by additional haloed figures.
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Text Both · 97%
Greek inscriptions are visibly woven into the horizontal register and placed beside surrounding figures, consistent with the catalog's description of names written in Greek.
Visual Qualities
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Dense Composition Visual · 94%
The image has a visually dense arrangement of central figures, registers, medallions, inscriptions, and ornamental borders.
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Highly Ornamented Visual · 95%
The borders and compartments are richly ornamented with repeated vegetal, floral, and geometric motifs.
Time Periods
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500 - 1000 CE Art Metadata · 99%
The work is dated to the 500s CE.
Geographic Regions
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Egyptian Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog gives Egypt as the place of origin.
Materials
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Natural Fibers Metadata · 99%
The museum specifies wool and dye; wool is a natural fiber.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Christian Art and Architecture Both · 97%
The catalog places the work in Christian Orthodox devotional practice and identifies the Virgin, Christ Child, angels, and apostles; the image presents a clearly Christian sacred composition.
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Byzantine Art Metadata · 99%
The museum identifies the place and period of origin as Egypt, Byzantine period.
Textiles
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Tapestry and Wall Hanging Both · 99%
The catalog describes the work as a tapestry hung on a wall, and the image clearly shows a large woven wall textile.
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Textile Arts Both · 99%
The work is cataloged as a textile woven from woolen thread, and its woven pictorial construction is visible in the image.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Icon of the Virgin and Child. Cleveland Museum of Art.