Icon of the Theotokos "Loving Kindness"_1

Icon of Loving Kindness

How our icons are made

Icons depicting the mutual loving kindness of the Mother of God and the Christ-Child are called "Loving Kindness" in Greek, 'Eleousa'. Some icons of Loving-kindness, such as this variant, depict only the upper parts, mainly the faces and hands of the Divine Mother and Child. Emphasizing the intimate character of the icon.

The icon of Loving-kindness is an image of the Divine Mother grieving and enduring in silence the inevitability of the future Passion of Her Son, which had already been revealed to Her (by Holy Righteous Simeon, \"A sword will pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed\" Luke 2:35), while the human nature of the Christ-Child is emphasized by the manifestations of purely human feelings, fear, tenderness, and His gestures.

The particular composition of icons of "Loving-kindness" strongly emphasizes motherhood. The depiction is filled with natural human feelings of motherly love and kindness. The faces of both the Divine Mother and the Christ-Child are tightly pressed to one another, as if they were one whole, emphasizing the physical link between the Mother and the Child. With a gesture full of tenderness, the Mother of God hugs Her Son. The compassion She feels for Him is transformed into motherly compassion and love for all mankind.