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Anna Żarnowiecka MOJA IKONA
![]() Holy Family on the way to Egypt, 36x30During persecutions during King Herod's reign, St. Joseph received a command in a dream to take Child and His Mother and flee to Egypt (Mt 2:13-15). Depiction of Mary with Jesus on her lap refers to the Hodegetria type - “She Who Shows the Way” - and exudes dignity. The elevation on the donkey's back evokes the image of rulers on a throne. Walking behind them, Joseph adores the Savior (a gesture of his left hand) while also caring for the family’s earthly needs (a bundle suspended on a staff). | ![]() St. Ignatius, 30x21 cmThe icon depicts the saint in a frontal arrangement, dressed in the attire of a 16th-century clergyman. The left hand is shown in a gesture commanding silence, referencing the Spiritual Exercises authored by Ignatius. The position of the other hand illustrates the profession of faith in Christ as the incarnation of one of the three Divine Persons. | ![]() Holy Family, 40x30 cmThe bond between Mary and Jesus, depicted in many other iconographic types, finds its place here as well. She brings Him to humanity. The presence of St. Joseph, both in the Gospel accounts and in the icon of the Holy Family, is discreet and limited to care and total devotion, symbolized by the adoring gesture of his hand. Emphasized here as well is the fact that Jesus took on flesh from the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit (represented by the open heavens at the top of the icon). |
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![]() Vladimir Mother of God, 30x21 cmAn icon of the Eleusa type, imbued with profound emotional depth. However, this is not mere sentimentality but a depiction of the love Christ has for the Church, represented in the person of Mary. The face of Christ is not childlike, and Mary’s face reflects the solemnity of her Son's sacrifice. | ![]() Nikopeia Mother of God, 30x21 cmAlso known as Kyriotissa, meaning “Bearer of Victory.” The Mother of God is depicted in imperial robes, in a majestic and frontal posture. She holds a medallion on her lap featuring Christ Emmanuel, who holds a scroll of Scripture and offers a blessing. The symbolism of the colors expresses the belief in Mary’s simultaneous motherhood and virginity, as well as the dual human-divine nature of Christ. | ![]() Christ and Abbot Menas, 30x30 cmThe prototype is an icon from Coptic Christian art. Christ, in garments highlighting His human-divine nature, holds the Gospel book in one hand and rests the other on Abbot Menas’ shoulder in a gesture of friendship. The abbot holds a scroll, possibly the rule of his monastery, and with the other hand points to Christ, professing faith in His dual nature. I aimed to keep the icon's colors true to the original. |
![]() Christ the Good Shepherd – travel icon, 13x9 cmThis small icon, measuring just a few centimeters, consists of a central panel depicting Christ the Good Shepherd, along with two hinged wings. Both the structure and the size of the icon make it easy and safe to carry along while traveling. | ![]() Eleusa (with a border), 30x21 cmOne of many depictions of the Mother of God with the Son in the Eleusa type – Merciful, Tender. | ![]() Christ in Majesty, 30x21 cmChrist in Majesty sits on a throne against the background of a mandorla symbolizing the vastness of the universe. The mandorla is supported by the symbols of the four Evangelists. Christ, in a radiant garment emphasizing His majesty, blesses and presents the Word contained in the Gospel book. |
![]() Christ and St. John, 30x21 cmChrist and the beloved disciple are depicted here during the Last Supper. Christ points to the bread and wine in their eucharistic forms. John rests on the chest of the Master and Savior. | ![]() Mandylion, 30x30 cmAccording to the icon of Vladimir Grigorenko, the Mandylion belongs to acheiropoietic icons, meaning "not made by human hands," but created through the imprint of the Savior's face on a cloth. The image became the model for all subsequent depictions of Jesus Christ and an argument supporting the veneration of the icon. | ![]() Salus Populi RomaniSalus Populi Romani is an icon of the Mother of God in the Hodegetria type, located in the Pauline Chapel of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. It is one of the most venerated images of the Mother of God in the Holy City. |
![]() Eleusa Mother of God, 31x20 cmThe most lyrical of all Marian icon types. It is not only an image of the tender relationship between Mother and Son, but also a symbol of the human soul in close communion with God. The types of Sign, Hodegetria, and Eleusa are the three fundamental Marian representations, widely spread in countless variations. | ![]() Eleusa from Decan, 30x21 cmThe Eleusa in a full-body representation, in its prototype, is located in the Serbian monastery of Dečani. The figure of Mary in a dark blue robe wraps herself in a burgundy maphorion. Jesus, on her arm, presses His cheek to His Mother’s. Eleusa, also known as the Tender or Merciful, is an icon of the relationship between the Son and the Mother, as well as between Christ and the Church. | ![]() Hodegetria Mother of God, 30x40 cm"She Who Shows the Way" – a Christocentric type. Mary is depicted frontally, pointing to Jesus, who sits on her arm as though on a throne. He blesses with His right hand and holds a scroll of scripture in His left. Each depiction of Mary in the icon expresses the idea of the Mother of God leading us to the Son. |
![]() Mother of God from Korsun, 23,5x19 cmAn icon in the Eleusa type. The original comes from a Russian manufactory from the 19th/20th century. It is full of inner warmth. The small size of the icon indicates its private purpose. | ![]() Kazan Mother of God, 24x20 cmThis is one of the most venerated images of the Mother of God. It represents the iconographic type known as Hodegetria. The history of the image dates back to the 14th century and is very tumultuous. Its journey across several continents is almost unbelievable. | ![]() Pelagonitissa Mother of GodThis iconographic type originates from the 13th century in the province of Pelagonia in Macedonia and is also known as "The Playing Child" as a variation of the Eleusa type. The 15th-century prototype is currently housed in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. |
![]() Pelagonitissa Mother of God, 21x30 cm | ![]() Mother of God Eleusa from Dečani, 70x25 cmThe Eleusa in a full-body representation, in its prototype, is located in the Serbian monastery of Dečani. Mary, in a dark blue robe, wraps herself in a burgundy maphorion, softly draped along her figure. Jesus, on her arm, tenderly presses His cheek to His Mother’s. Mary stands on a red cushion, symbolizing her royal dignity. | ![]() Mother of God of the Sign, 24x20 cmThe Mother of God is depicted here in the posture of an orant, interceding with her Son on behalf of humanity. Christ Emmanuel – God with us – blesses with His right hand and holds a scroll of scripture in His left. The three stars on Mary's maphorion symbolize her virginity before, during, and after the birth of the Son. The letters near the halos are abbreviations for the words "Mother of God" and "Jesus Christ." |
![]() Great Panagia of Yaroslavl, 44x20 cmThis is one of the most beautiful depictions of the Mother of God as an Orant. The original was created around 1224 in Rus. The depiction of Christ Emmanuel in a medallion refers to the iconographic type of the Mother of God of the Sign. The abundant gold embellishments on the garments express the belief that the Mother of God is bathed in streams of grace from the Holy Spirit. | ![]() Archangel Gabriel, 35x13 cm"God is my strength." Like the previous icon, this one also belongs to the Deesis row in the iconostasis, part of the procession of figures approaching Christ in an adoring and supplicatory procession. The wings also carry rich symbolism. They signify liberation from everything earthly: time, space, gravity. They are a sign of swift and unlimited ascent toward God, toward the heavenly world, and also of readiness to assist humanity. | ![]() Archangel Michael, 35x13"Who is like God" – he is an angel standing before God, hence his rich, courtly attire. He is a defender in the battle against evil, a master of fortitude, and the guardian of the Church. He is dressed in a blue tunic and a red himation. The staff in his hand, the *rabdos*, is a symbol of spiritual authority. With his left hand, he supports a sphere with the monogram of Christ. The band around his hair exposes his ears to the voice of God and is a sign of obedience to the Lord. |
![]() Archangel Raphael, 35x15"I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in readiness and enter before the Majesty of the Lord." (Tobit 12:15) In the Book of Tobit, the story of Archangel Raphael’s care over young Tobias and his family is recorded. | ![]() Archangel MichaelThe prototype of this icon is a 13th-century representation from the collections of the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. Archangel Michael, as one close to God, wears rich, courtly attire. He holds a leading place among the Archangels, being the one who leads the heavenly host and subdues Satan. He is a defender in the battle against evil, a master of fortitude, and is called the Prince of Angels, the Leader of the Heavenly Hosts, and the Angel of Justice. | ![]() Archangel Gabriel, 24x20The prototype of this icon is a 13th-century representation from the collections of the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. Archangel Gabriel, as one close to God, wears rich, courtly attire. He is dressed in a blue-green tunic with a so-called sash of dignity and a red-gold himation. In his left hand, he holds a *rabdos*, a thin, long staff that symbolizes his mission and spiritual authority. The gesture of his open right hand signifies adoration and intercession. |
![]() Old Testament Trinity, 60x50 cmAccording to a 15th-century Cretan icon, this depiction is also called the Old Testament Trinity. Abraham and Sarah are visited by three young men (the three Divine Persons), who announce that by this time next year, despite their old age, they will be parents, and their descendant will give rise to a great nation. | ![]() Holy Trinity of the Old TestamentAccording to the icon by Andrei Rublev from 1425. | ![]() Annunciation, 63x50 cmThe prototype for this icon is a depiction originating from the school of Andrei Rublev from 1408. Archangel Gabriel, in a dynamic pose, arrives to Mary with the joyful news of the conception of the Savior. Mary (according to the apocryphal texts) is weaving purple for the Jerusalem temple. The purple thread symbolizes the life that is being conceived within her through the Holy Spirit (represented by a dove in a radiant beam from heaven). |
![]() Holy Family I, 31x21 cmIn the icon of the Holy Family, there are three figures: Jesus Emmanuel in royal garments with His hands raised in a blessing gesture for all of humanity, the Theotokos Mary in the Hodegetria type, and Joseph – the husband of Mary according to the Law, the witness to the birth of the God-Man, and their protector during the flight to Egypt and life in Nazareth. The gesture of the open hand and the color of the garments express adoration and Joseph's complete humility and submission to God. | ![]() Holy Family II, Lubieszów, 50x50 cmThe icon, based on the triptych from the main altar of the Church of the Holy Family in Lubieszów, emphasizes Christ's incarnation. Emmanuel, God with us, sits in majesty on a rainbow, symbolizing the covenant between God and humanity. Mary, His Mother, and Saint Joseph, the protector and witness to the incarnation, are included in both His human existence and Divine glory. | ![]() Church of the Holy Family in Lubieszów |
![]() Transfiguration, 60x50 cmAccording to Theophanes the Greek, 1403. The Transfigured Christ, in radiant garments, sits on a double mandorla, speaking with the prophet Elijah and the patriarch Moses. The witnesses to this scene are the frightened apostles Peter, John, and James. The mountain peaks are shrouded in a cloud. Christ reveals His glory to the apostles to strengthen them for the difficult moments of His Passion and death, which they will soon witness. | ![]() Resurrection of Lazarus, 20x27 cmThis small icon is part of a series of icons of Christ Pantocrator, painted collaboratively by iconographers from the Lumen group in Kraków. | ![]() Meeting of Jesus with Zacchaeus, 50x40 cmThe basis for this icon is a passage from the Gospel of St. Luke 19:1-10. The wealthy tax collector Zacchaeus, who was of short stature, climbs a tree to see Jesus. Zacchaeus' eagerness is rewarded as Jesus says, "I must stay at your house today." Jesus' entry into Zacchaeus' life becomes the source of his profound transformation. |
![]() Lamentation, 75x58 cmThis icon, based on a late Byzantine original from the early 15th century in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai, depicts Christ's lifeless body laid in a stone tomb. Over Him lean Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in sorrow, St. John, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus. Mary Magdalene's dramatic gesture and vivid red tones stand out. | ![]() Saint Andrew the ApostleIcon painting is, in a sense, abstract art: it does not reproduce "natural things," but rather the "nature of things." Therefore, the figures do not resemble their prototypes. The elements that allow for identifying a person are inscriptions and physiognomic traits corresponding to their character traits. | ![]() Saint Andrew, 30x21 cm. |
![]() Saint Joseph, 35x15 cm.The husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and guardian of Jesus. He is depicted with a pair of sacrificial doves symbolizing the sacrifice of his life. | ![]() Saint LukeSaint Luke was a loyal companion and collaborator of Saint Paul the Apostle. He is primarily known as the author of the third Gospel. By profession, he was a physician and is recognized as the patron saint of those in the medical profession. | ![]() St. Nicholas, 50x40 cmThe high forehead, face marked by wrinkles, sunken cheeks, and the halo around the head, indicate the wisdom and ascetic life of this holy man. The white omophorion with black crosses symbolizes his episcopal dignity, while the book signifies his devotion to the Gospel. |
![]() Saint Bernard from Clairvaux 29x40The saint is depicted in a Cistercian habit with an abbot's staff, in a gesture of adoration towards Jesus and Mary. A portion of the prayer traditionally attributed to St. Bernard is engraved on the icon. | ![]() St. Anthony of Padua, 55x22 cmItalian-style icon, based on Paolo Veneziano's 1354 polyptych 'Madonna with Child'. Every icon comes beautifully packaged in a protective box, ensuring safe delivery and a dignified presentation. | ![]() St. Pio, 40x30 cmThe saint is depicted in a Franciscan habit with a purple stole emphasizing his charisma as a confessor. The red cross testifies to Saint Pio's great love for the crucified Christ. |
![]() Madonna of VeveriThis is an example of Western European Gothic religious art. The original dates back to 1350 and belongs to the group of the so-called "Prague Madonnas". It is currently located in the National Gallery in Prague in the former monastery of St. Agnes. | ![]() Our Lady of Humble from Rudy, 57x37 cmThe icon of the Mother of God with Jesus came to Rudy from Bulgaria. After it disappeared, a copy was made in the 15th century, which is located in the former Cistercian sanctuary to this day. The miraculous image was crowned by John Paul II in 1999. | ![]() Lord Jesus the Merciful MilatinskyThis miraculous image of the Merciful Lord Jesus was originally brought from Rome to Poland in 1700. It became famous for numerous miracles. From 1747 until World War II it was located in Milatyn Nowy near Lviv; currently in Krakow in the church of the Congregation of the Mission at ul. Św. Filipa 19. |
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