A Newfound Icon “Sophia the Wisdom of God with Miracle-Working Icons of the Mother of God” of the Late 17th — Early 18th Century: Aspects of the Iconographic Programme

Abstract

The article discusses the unique theological programme of an icon painted in the town of Vologda at the turn of the 17th to the 18th century. The icon combines the image of Sophia the Wisdom of God with the miraculous icons of the Mother of God: “The Lamenting Virgin”, “Our Lady of Georgia”, “The Virgin Eleousa” and “Our Lady of the Kievan Caves”. The image of Sophia the Wisdom of God has a number of significant differences from the classical iconography that became widespread in the Russian art of the 16th and 17th centuries: there is no image of Jesus Christ and the figure of the fiery-faced angel is inscribed as “IC XC”. The study of this icon provides new information for the interpretation of the theme of Sophia the Wisdom of God in Russian culture of the 17th — 18th century.