Overlapping Layers of Mother of God Vladimirskaya

This icon demonstrates the practice of over-painting old icons with new ones. On close observation you will notice that the right hand side of the face of the Mother of God has flaked away, revealing the original and older version of the same subject. The board and the original icon date from the mid-eighteenth century, and the new icon was painted towards the end of the nineteenth century. To the Orthodox believer the icon is a sacred object that has practical uses. Contemplating an icon facilitates prayer and meditation: this act is referred to as veneration. For a believer the icon can only function efficiently if it is “readable” and in good shape. Usually when something is missing from damage or the inevitable deterioration associated with aging, the icon is repaired or repainted.