Description

The Hodegetria icon of the Mother of God is one of the oldest known iconographic representations. The oldest surviving depiction is a miniature from the 7th or 8th century from Syria. The icon is classified as a Luke icon, which, according to legend, was painted by the evangelist Luke whilst the Mother of God was still alive. The word Hodegetria means ‘she who shows the way’, which is evident in the iconography. The mother points to the Christ Child; the child is not looking at the mother, but at the viewer.