NEWS from the MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
Spring 2017
Pondering Mary
Her Story Through Icons
On Exhibit Now Through May 21 , 2017
Pondering Mary , Her Story Through Icons , currently on exhibition in the West Gallery , delves into a vast and fascinating topic that we have only touched upon in other exhibitions . Reverand Christine Visminas , exhibition curator , has used 38 icons from the Museum ’ s collection to explore the history of the Mother of God and how she is understood in both the East and the West . The icons have been divided into three main categories : festival icons , portrait icons , and theological icons .
Christ ’ s Presentation , c . 1600
Festival icons are those that represent celebrations of the life of the Mother of God . As Mary gained in devotional importance in the first centuries of Christianity , celebrations of her life became integrated into the public worship of the Church .
Mother of God Smolensk , c . 1750
Mother of God Pokrov , 1997
Portrait icons are those that feature a single figure , such as the Mother of God , without any accompanying scenes . In these icons Mary is always depicted with Jesus . This is how Russians see Mary : not as the Blessed Virgin , but as the Blessed Mother of God .
Theological icons are uniquely a Russian phenomenon . Most of these icons came into being in the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries , and resulted from a confluence of cultural , political and ecclesiastical changes in Russian society .
Watch our calendar for programs relating to the exhibition , and come by the Museum to learn more about Mary and her complex role in salvation .
203 Union Street , Clinton , MA 01510