The Eleusa (or ''Eleousa''; – ''tenderness'' or ''showing mercy'') is a type of depiction of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

s in which the

Christ Child The Christ Child—also known as Baby Jesus, Infant Jesus, Child Jesus, Divine Child, Divine Infant and the Holy Child—refers to Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ during his early years. The term refers to a period of life of Jesus, Jesus' l ...

is nestled against her cheek. In the

Western Church Western Christianity is one of two subdivisions of Christianity (Eastern Christianity being the other). Western Christianity is composed of the Latin Church and Western Protestantism, together with their offshoots such as the Old Catholic C ...

the type is often known as the Virgin of Tenderness.

Depictions

Such icons have been venerated in the

Eastern Church Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean region or locations further east, south or north. The term does not describe a ...

for centuries. Similar types of depiction are also found in

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

paintings in the

where they are called the Madonna Eleusa, or the Virgin of Tenderness. By the 19th century examples such as the '' Lady of Refuge'' type (e.g. the ''

Refugium Peccatorum Madonna ''Refugium Peccatorum Madonna'' or the ''Refuge of Sinners Madonna'' is a painting by the Italian artist Luigi Crosio. It was painted in 1898. Crosio originally painted the Madonna for the Kuenzil Brothers in Switzerland. The painting depicts ...

'' by

Luigi Crosio Luigi Crosio (1835–1916) was an Italian painter who lived and worked in Turin, Italy. A fine draftsman and painter, Crosio's work was much sought after for lithographic reproduction. Life Crosio was born in Acqui Terme. He attended the Accade ...

) were widespread and they were also used in

retablo A retablo is a devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art. More generally ''retablo'' is also the Spanish term for a retable or reredos above an altar, whether ...

s in

Mexican art Various types of visual arts developed in the geographical area now known as Mexico. The development of these arts roughly follows the history of Mexico, divided into the prehispanic Mesoamerican era, the New Spain, colonial period, with the per ...

.''Art and faith in Mexico: the nineteenth-century retablo tradition'' by Charles Muir Lovell. . pp. 93–94. In

Eastern Orthodoxy Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

the term Panagia Eleousa is often used. The

Theotokos of Vladimir The Virgin of Vladimir, also known as Vladimir Mother of God, Our Lady of Vladimir (), is a 12th-century Byzantine icon depicting the Virgin and Child and an early example of the ''Eleusa'' iconographic type. It is one of the most culturally s ...

and

Theotokos of Pochayiv ''Theotokos of Pochayiv'' () is an Eastern Orthodox icon of the Virgin Mary, painted in a late Byzantine style, of the Eleusa iconographic type. Like many famous icons, it is now usually displayed with most of the surface covered by an elaborate f ...

are well-known examples of this type of icon. Eleusa is also used as epithet for describing and praising the

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-beare ...

(Virgin Mary) in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. While the Eastern Church does not generally create three-dimensional religious art, Eleusa-style

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

s and sculptures, as well as icons, have also been used in the Western Church. The

Pelagonitissa The Pelagonitissa (also known as "The Virgin with the Playing Child") is a type of depiction of the Virgin Mary (often in icons) in which the Virgin holds an infant Jesus in an abrupt movement, his head back and grabbing onto her. Pelagonitissa w ...

is a variant in which the infant Jesus makes an abrupt movement.

Gallery

Eastern icons

File:Vladimirskaya.jpg,

Vladimirskaya Vladimirsky (masculine), Vladimirskaya (feminine), Vladimirskoye (neuter) or variant spellings may refer to: Buildings *Vladimir Palace (''Vladimirsky dvorets''), an imperial palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia * Vladimirskaya (Saint Petersburg Met ...

File:Feodorovskaya ikona so skazaniem.jpg, Fyodorovskaya File:Theotokos of Tolga (fragment).jpg, Tolgskaya File:Feofan Donskaja.jpg, Donskaya File:Angelos Akotantos - Icon of the Mother of God and Infant Christ (Virgin Eleousa) - 2010.154 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif, ''

The Virgin Eleousa ''The Virgin Eleousa'' is a tempera painting attributed to Angelos Akotantos. Angelos Akotantos was a Greek painter active on the island of Crete during the first half of the 15th century. He is considered one of the founding members of the Creta ...

'', Crete, c. 1425,

Cleveland Museum of Art The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Located in the Wade Park District of University Circle, the museum is internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian art, Asian and Art of anc ...

Western icons

File:The Cambrai Madonna.jpg, ''

Cambrai Madonna The ''Cambrai Madonna'', also called the ''Notre-Dame de Grâce'', produced around 1340, is a small Italo-Byzantine, possibly Sienese,Upton (1989), 52 replica of an Eleusa (''Virgin of Tenderness'') icon. The work on which it is based is believed ...

'', Italo-Byzantine, c. 1340,

Cambrai Cathedral Cambrai Cathedral () is a Catholic church located in Cambrai, Nord, France, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Cambrai. The cathedral was registered as a ''monument historique'' on 9 August 1906. It was built between 1696 and 1703, on the si ...

File:Tempi Madonna by Raffaello Sanzio - Alte Pinakothek - Munich - Germany 2017.jpg, ''

Tempi Madonna The ''Tempi Madonna'' is an oil painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Raphael. Created for the Tempi family, the work was acquired by Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1829 and is currently housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. It is believed t ...

'',

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...

, 1508,

Alte Pinakothek The Alte Pinakothek (, ''Old Pinakothek'') is an art museum located in the Kunstareal area in Munich, Germany. It is one of the oldest galleries in the world and houses a significant collection of Old Master paintings. The name Alte (Old) Pin ...

File:Della-Robbia-Sevilla1.jpg, "Eleusa style"

Relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

Andrea della Robbia Andrea della Robbia (20 October 14354 August 1525) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, especially in ceramics. Biography Born in Florence, Robbia was the son of Marco della Robbia, whose brother, Luca della Robbia, popularized the use of g ...

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

File:Wga Pompeo Batoni Madonna and Child.jpg,

Pompeo Batoni Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (25 January 1708 – 4 February 1787) was an Italian painter who displayed a solid technical knowledge in his portrait work and in his numerous Allegory, allegorical and mythological pictures. The high number of foreign vis ...

, c. 1742

Sources

External links