Our Lady Theotokos -- Orthodox Byzantine Icon Wallpaper HD

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This classic Orthodox icon of the Theotokos (Mother of God) follows the sacred iconographic tradition refined over fifteen centuries of Christian art. The Greek abbreviations visible in the image -- MR ΘΥ (Meter Theou, "Mother of God") and IC XC (Iesous Christos, "Jesus Christ") -- are found on Orthodox icons worldwide, identifying the sacred figures according to the ancient iconographic canon. Mary holds the Christ child in the position of holy presentation: this is her identity and her vocation -- to carry, to present, to point toward her Son. The deep crimson of her maphorion against the blue of her inner robe, the gold of the background, the precise geometry of the composition -- all these elements are theological statements made visible. The face of the Theotokos in Byzantine iconography is never merely beautiful by the standards of natural portraiture. It carries instead the gravity of one who has borne the uncontainable -- who was told "the power of the Most High will overshadow you" and said "Let it be to me according to your word." Her sorrow is present in the set of her eyes -- she knows what is coming. Her peace is present in the steady calm of her hands -- she trusts who is coming and why. Across the Christian world, from the great cathedrals of Russia to the smallest roadside shrines of Greece, from Philippine churches to Romanian monasteries, this image of Mary holding her Son has been the most consistently reproduced image in all of Christian art. Free HD download.

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