Madonna and Child (Virgin of Tenderness) Emilian master, follower of Sassoferrato Second half of the 18th century Oil on canvas Canvas cm. 50 x 70, frame cm. 66 x 86 The Virgin of Tenderness, or Virgin of Vladimir, is an ancient Byzantine icon, considered a masterpiece of Orthodox iconography. It is the most famous and celebrated among the ancient Russian icons, as well as the most reproduced over the following centuries. Its history began in Constantinople where it was painted in the early 12th century and later donated to the prince of Kiev, Yuri Dolgoruky, by the Greek Patriarch Luke Chrysoberges. The panel was brought to Vladimir in 1155 and then ended up in Moscow during the invasion of Tamerlane. The Icon has played a significant role in Russian history, being considered the great protector, worshiped and implored by the people during all wars and tribulations. This magnificent Marian image depicts the Virgin in half-length, holding the child in her arms and bending her head towards her Creation. Their faces touch, expressing an intense emotional connection. The enormous success and widespread diffusion of the depiction throughout the East extended towards the West as early as the beginning of the 15th century, and was taken up by Italian, Flemish, Spanish, and German masters. (The Virgin of Tenderness by Lucas Cranach, exhibited in the Cathedral of Innsbruck, is famous). The painting published here excellently presents this iconographic type, expressing the personal artistic qualities of the author with all the unmistakable characteristics of 17th-century Emilian painting. The pictorial fineness and the exceptional elegance of the composition are remarkable, with an extremely refined description of the Virgin's profile which is of rare beauty, bent over the lively face of the Child. The perfect execution of the sfumato and the extremely sharp images express a closeness to the works of Sassoferrato, as well as an interesting analogy with the paintings of the great masters of the Tuscan Renaissance from which the background landscape is drawn. The choice of colors, with accentuated shades of green, gives the canvas a grace and a particularly pleasing effect.