Iconographic Type Research Articles

TYPOLOGY OF FACES ON ETRUSCAN TERRACOTTA (TO THE PROBLEM OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE STYLE OF HEAD TYPES ACCORDING TO P.J. RIIS)

Introduction. Etruscan-Italian fine art experienced a noticeable artistic influence from Greece. Iconographic types of the head and face were transmitted both through the import of finished Greek products and through the circulation of matrices and the artists themselves, which complicates the chronology and typology of monuments. P.J. Riis proposes to systematize the "evolution" of Etruscan terracotta styles by constructing a chronological series from the early archaic to the late classic [Riis, 1981]. The purpose of the work was to study the concept of P.J. Riis about iconography in Etruscan coroplastics and the creation of generalized morphological characteristics of local types (regional styles). Materials and methods. Illustrated chronological tables from P.J. Riis and the method of composite portrait in digital version were used. Results and discussion. P.J. Riis examined 352 types of images, their archaeological context geographically confined to Northern Etruria (Clusium), Central (Vulci, Volsinia), Southern (Caere, Veii, Falerii, Latium) and Etruscan Campania (Capua). The earliest production of Etruscan terracotta was concentrated in Campania, Southern and Northern Etruria, the first hellenized style of terracotta spread from Etruscan Capania into Southern Etruria. The composite portraits based on the combined samples of archaic art indicate the absence of significant sex differences. In the composite female portrait for all samples of the archaic period, a contribution of morphological elements of the types of Southern and Central Etruria is visually noted. The greatest contribution to the morphology of the face in the composite female portrait for all samples of the classical period was made by Central Etruria and Capua. The resulting composite portraits by region indicate the heterogeneity of facial iconography in the archaic and classical art of Central Italy and visualize the conclusions of P.J. Riis on the development of several local traditions of fine art style. Conclusion. The classification of P.J. Riis is constructed in such a way that it assumes for its further completion with new archaeological data, so it can be considered as an attempt to create a “visual” history of the Etruscan portrait, at least part of it.

Skulpture Marije Pobjednice u gradovima tvrđavama na jugoistočnoj granici Habsburške Monarhije

The paper analyses statues of Mary the Victorious (Maria victrix, Santa Maria de Victoria, Marija Zmagovalka, Maria vom Siege, Gyözedelmes Immaculata) in the fortified cities at the south-eastern frontier of the Habsburg Monarchy, highlighting some previously unidentified examples of this iconographic type in Petrovaradin and Alba Iulia. These cities were part of a comprehensive fortification system conceived by Eugene of Savoy following Habsburg victories over the Ottomans under his leadership. The paper examines comparative graphic, painterly, and sculptural works that may have influenced the authors of these sculptures. Notably, two altarpieces by Carlo Maratta (1625–1713), executed in the 1660s for the Franciscan church of S. Isidoro Agricola in Rome and the church of S. Agostino in Siena, emerge as highly influential in this context, with numerous artworks modelled upon them. The iconographic type of Mary the Victorious depicts the joint triumph of the Virgin Mary and her Child over Evil, with Christ piercing the personification of evil at their feet with a cross-shaped spear. This paper associates this specific iconographic choice with the origin of these artworks near the Habsburg-Ottoman frontier, interpreting it as an expression of Catholic and Habsburg triumphal rhetoric and propaganda. Some examples suggest probable Jesuit influence, as they were among the primary promoters of this iconographic type. In Osijek, a city of exceptional strategic importance on the south-eastern Habsburg-Ottoman frontier, the iconographic type of Mary the Victorious is represented by two examples. The earlier, more elaborate one, tentatively dated to the 1730s, originally adorned the city gate of Osijek’s fortress Tvrđa. In 1784, together with three other statues, it was placed on the outer perimeter of the Holy Trinity monument in the centre of Tvrđa. The second Osijek example is located in the Lower Town and dated by an inscription to 1757, when it was erected as a votive statue against the plague. Two public statues of Mary the Victorious are located in Petrovaradin, the second most important fortress on the south-eastern frontier of the Habsburg Monarchy. Unlike those from Osijek, the Petrovaradin statues are not free-standing, but inserted into the façade niches of public buildings in the suburbs of the Petrovaradin fortress. The polychromous wooden statue on the building of the Šajkaš Battalion stands out for its quality, with stylistic features pointing to the early decades of the 18th century. The second statue is located in the niche of the nearby Bridge Toll Office building. It is argued that the Jesuits or the Franciscans may have selected this iconographic type, as they were the key promoters of Mary the Victorious. The statues were probably commissioned to commemorate Mary’s role in the Christian victory over the Ottomans near Petrovaradin in 1716, as their locations suggest. Mary’s role as the saintly protector against the plague, which struck the area in 1738, should also be considered. In Alba Iulia, which was the easternmost point of Eugene’s chain of fortified cities, Mary the Victorious is the central statue on the side altar in the cathedral of St Michael, constructed around 1754. In conclusion, the paper presents two examples of sculptural and painterly depictions of Mary the Victorious in the wider frontier area (Požega, Valpovo), commissioned by the Jesuits or members of the Habsburg elite, since due to specific political circumstances, they emerge as key patrons of significant artworks in this region.

Medieval Christian Religion and Art

The Middle Ages was the period in which most of the iconographic types of the Christian tradition were formed and solidified [...]

THE PROBLEM OF ICONOGRAPHIC CANON IN ORTHODOX CHURCH PAINTING

The article is devoted to the formulation of the problem of the iconographic canon and to the study of the specifics of canonical works in Orthodox church painting. For this purpose, we study the relationship between the artistic-aesthetic canon in general and the iconographic canon in particular. To clarify the semantic content of the concepts “iconographic canon” and “iconography”, a distinction is proposed between the terms “iconographic model” and “iconographic type”. The specifics of the Eastern Christian iconographic canon are studied in the context of the special gnosiological role of visual arts in the system of Orthodox culture, which determined the features of iconographic symbolism. General and specific principles of the canonical system are formulated, revealing the religious-philosophical and artistic-aesthetic integrity of iconographic images intended for the non-rational expression of divine revelation and acting as a connection between the “earthly” and “celcetial”, immanent and transcendental levels of being.

Visual Traditions in the Formation of the Iconographic Types of the Investiture and Triumph of Patriarch Joseph

The story of the patriarch Joseph is a very recurring theme in medieval visual artistic Christian tradition. Joseph, Jacob’s beloved son, is a prefiguration of Christ. The story in Genesis 41, 37–44 fosters the creation of two iconographic types: Joseph’s investiture and Joseph on the Pharaoh’s chariot. The narrative places patriarch Joseph in the court of the Pharaoh of Egypt. However, Christian visuality was created according to the iconic criteria for the representation of political power, contemporary to the configuration of both iconographic types. The aim of this paper is to study the visual mechanisms used in the iconic configuration of the iconographic types of Joseph’s investiture and Joseph on the Pharaoh’s chariot, when the monarch bestows upon Joseph the privilege of his trust. The iconographic analysis of some early and medieval examples of the artistic visuality of Joseph’s story, in Eastern and Western traditions, confirms that they refer back to late ancient and medieval Byzantine tradition. Likewise, it was detected that the resources used in the visual configuration of both iconographic types are linked to the conventionalised mechanisms of the symbolic construction of power.

Children Portrait in Golden Age Spanish Painting: Iconographic Types, the Artistic Image Specificity, Development Stages

The article is devoted to children court portraits in the Spanish Art Golden Age. The Spanish children portrait has been unfairly overlooked by researchers. Meanwhile, its development visibly and vividly reveals the specifics of the Spanish art evolution. It also has a number of specific features that are absent in an adult portrait. The study of Philip II letters to his daughters reveals the closeness and warmth of relations in the Spanish royal family, and also shows the richness and diversity of the infantas activities. The images of fine art and the world of Philip letters to his daughters are “not congruent”, what clearly demonstrates the conventionality and canonicity of children representative images. The canon of representation helps to understand the modern didactic works of Erasmus of Rotterdam, Luis Vives, Baldassare Castiglione. Children, and especially royal children, were trained from an early age for their adult roles. Accordingly, there was a rigid canon of representation. It turns out to be the strictest in the era of Philip II. It was then that the first children portraits of infantes appeared. Subsequently, the iconography of children portraits is diversified. Italian Sofonisba Anguissola brought a sense of transience and emotionality to the strict Spanish canon, what would be adopted by Diego Velazquez. In the XVII century second half, the feeling of the variability of life was replaced by baroque bravura, enriched with allegorical figures and royal attributes in the portrait of Carlos II child by Sebastián de Herrera Barnuevo. And in the 18th century first half under the Bourbons the strict Spanish iconography was complemented by bright rocaille colors and glorification in encrypted emblems.

The Image of Gregory the Illuminator in Romanian-Armenian Icon Painting

Icon painting has been one of the most important aspects of the cultural heritage of Romanian Armenians, contrasting with historical Armenia, where icon paintings were not widespread. Among more than ten iconographic forms of St. Gregory popular in Armenian art of the 18th century, only three are found in the icons created in Romania. The most common of these three forms created in Romanian-Armenian art, similar to Armenia itself and the Armenian colonies of the Diaspora, depicts the baptism scene of the Armenian royal family. Comparable icon paintings in the Romanian environment depict King Tiridates III of Armenia, Queen Ashkhen, and Princess Khosrovidukht kneeling before the Illuminator. In contrast to Armenia, the tortures of Gregory the Illuminator were often depicted in European art. In the 18th–19th centuries, a group of icons was also created in the Romanian-Armenian church environment, illustrating St. Gregory’s tortures and the martyrdom of St. Hripsime. Romanian-Armenian art portrays several biblical and pan-Christian worshipful saints as intercessors before the Mother of God, including St. Gregory. Alongside other saints of the General Church, St. Gregory served as the intercessor of the Armenian people. The Romanian-Armenian icons of Moldova exhibit a diverse range of styles, reflecting the various influences from Eastern European Orthodox and Catholic art during the 17th to 19th centuries. This article delves into the distinctive features of each iconographic type, comparing their versions within the same theme to unveil commonalities and differences. Details of the icons dedicated to St. Gregory’s life are described and analyzed based on biographical narratives.

Η Αγιότητα στην υπηρεσία της πολιτικής. Οι προπαγανδιστικές συνδηλώσεις της παράστασης του "Βουλγαροκτόνου" Αγίου Δημητρίου

St. Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki through the ages, the myroblytos and miracle-worker, is the subject of an extremely rich iconography. In one scene the martyr is depicted on horseback, spearing or unhorsing Ioannitzes, a prominent Bulgarian king (1197-1207). The specific iconographical type was conceived during the 13th century in the frame of the byzantine counter-narrative against the second Bulgarian state’s founding ideology, in order to present the aforementioned ruler’s sudden death as one of Demetrius’ numerous miracles. The diffusion of this scene served multiple objectives of Michael VIII Palaiologos’ propaganda, given that St. Demetrius was considered as one of his personal patron saints, a policy which was followed and expanded by his son and successor, Andronicus II Palaiologos. This paper’s aims are to interpret the propaganda meaning of the representation of St. Demetrius as ‘Bulgar-Slayer’ and to offer suggestions upon its dating, based on sources, coins, lead seals and wall paintings.

The “Serres, 1966” Hoard: A Contribution to the Coinage of the Macedonian Koinon

Studies on the institutions of the Macedonian Koinon have expanded considerably in recent years since excavations in the region of Macedonia revealed a significant amount of numismatic and epigraphic evidence. Even though literary sources concerning the foundation and the existence of the Koinon are obscure, numismatic testimonies contributed to the institution and its role within the Macedonian territory under the Roman rule. In the current article, the “Serres, 1966” hoard is examined, which was found in 1966 and is today kept at the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum. Emphasis is given to the iconographic types and the legends, which provide valuable information regarding the institutional and cultural character of the Macedonian Koinon.

Chastity in Temperance’s Images

Ancient thinking conceived Temperance as the enemy of pleasures and excesses, mainly bodily pleasures. This idea was the source of Temperance’s depictions in the Middle Ages. Attributes such as the torch and jug, castle, tower, bit, salamander, ermine, or the presence of Cupid accompany Temperance’s personification as controlling elements of bodily pleasures. The combinations of attributes relative to chastity give rise to two different iconographic types. These iconographic types translate theoretical considerations about this virtue visually.

Икона в лесу. Религиозно-культурные перемены на польско-руськом средневековом пограничье в свете новых археологических находок

The authors examine a stray find of two Early Rus’ miniature copper alloy icons of the middle — second half of the 13 th century found in a broad historical and cultural context in Eastern Poland. One of them is the central wing of a triptych with the image of the Mother of God Hodegetria and a Medusa Gorgon composition on the back. The other icon, also depicting the Hodegetria and the Child with an unfolded scroll, is extremely unique. This iconographic type is characteristic of Southern Italy. The icon itself can copy an unpreserved large-sized icon from Kyiv. The icons were hidden in an uninhabited space in forest no later than in the 14 th century. This corresponds to the archaic rituals of concealing unused sacred objects due to their worn and torn state or changes in the cultural situation. The article provides an overview of sacred objects found in Central-Eastern Europe in a similar context — in forest or on trees. Water was another element intended to conceal sacred objects. The authors substantiate the hypothesis that the lead pilgrimage badges found in Western Europe in rivers or in a wet context were also deposited there in accordance with the archaic rituals of “floating on water” due to religious changes at the turn of the 15 th—16 th centuries. The concealment of icons in the forest was associated with the entry of the Rus’-Polish borderlands into the Kingdom of Poland and subsequent transformations of the local Orthodox culture.

Интенционални състояния и Богородична иконография: радостта. Семиотичен и визуален анализ

Abstract: It would not be an exaggeration to say that in the case of the Mother of God the spectrum of experience pulsates from the troubled-joyful news that she has been chosen to be an “enclosure of the God Whom nothing can enclose” (Akathist: Ikos 8), then through the joy of the birth and nurturing of the Infant to the sorrow and suffering of the Crucifixion, again replaced by joy after the Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord. The intentional states inherent in the Mother of God - in these two lines of symbolic interpretation between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection - are crucified between joy and suffering. To trace the dynamic between joy and suffering is to construct, in yet another way, her full image. These intentional states are dialogical in nature. They are not for-themselves, but always in the dynamics of the relationship with Jesus Christ. When it comes to the Theotokos' intentional states, there is always a hidden relationship to Christ in them, whether or not He is present (and how) in the image. There is no depiction of the Theotokos for its own sake - the name “Theotokos” rejects this option. I will try to show that joy - read through the image of the Mother of God - not only fully fits into the idea of an intentional state, but that it has a specific, double intentionality. Joy and the Mother of God are inseparably linked. This is her characteristic state, which seizes her intimate space (totally surrendered to the thought of God, living with-God and for-God). But it is also a state that theologically dissolves outward into a visionary space. The directions of conformity of the joy of the Theotokos are two-dimensional – “from the world to her” but also “from her to the world.” Anyone who touches this world also knows joy - for in touching her, he also touches the Savior. The article presents a semiotic and visual analysis of a corpus of selected icons from from various monasteries and publications on the topics. Keywords: Iconographic types of Theotokos, Akathist, joy as an intentional state, Eleoussa, Glykophiloussa, Pelagonitissa, Galaktotropkoussa.

The work of Mykhailo Boychuk (Lviv period) and the "Studio" collection of the Studyts Monastery in Lviv

It has been analysed the activity of Mykhailo Boychuk in the period 1910 –1912, when the artist performed monumental paintings and easel icon painting works for the Studyts Monastery in Lviv on the street Petra Skargy, 2a (now Ozarkevicha St.). At this time the artist together with M. Kasperovych, S. Nalepinska, S. Beaudoin de Courtenay, G. Schramm and other representatives of his Parisian group worked on the frescoes of the chapel in the premises of thе monastery. The preserved works from the "Studio" collection include: "St. Nicholas" (1910), "St. Josaphat" (1910), "Jesus Christ" (1910s), "Covering of the Virgin" (1910) ("The Prophet Elijah" (1911), "The Last Supper" (1911) mosaic "St. John" (1910). The main type of Boychuk's artistic activity in 1910–1914 became religious painting. The artist revived forgotten techniques of tempera and frescoes, became a recognized restorer in the territory of Ukraine. Attention is focused on works of icon painting that have survived to this day and belong to the exposition of the Lviv National Museum named after Andrei Sheptytskyi. The object of the study is the icons and polychromies of Mykhailo Boychuk made for Studyts Monastery chapel (former Diakiv Bursa). The subject of the study is the iconography of his works, in particular, the characteristics of the iconographic type of St. Yosaphat Kuntsevich.

От Христа Пантократора к Salvator Mundi: развитие иконографии Спасителя в итальянской станковой живописи XIII-XV вв.

The iconography of Jesus Christ is one of the most relevant and, at the same time, the most difficult subjects to study. The formation of stable iconographic types of the Savior’s image went through a complicated path, going through various transformations, mainly related to the practical or liturgical function of icons. One of the most popular type, Pantokrator, has been realized in the panel painting of the Italian central region from the earliest times in the copies of the main Roman relic - Acheropita (Greek: Αχειροποίητα, the Image of Christ Not Made by Human Hands), which, as believed, had the same miraculous and protective power as an ancient icon. These copies, representing the image of the Savior on the throne (sometimes flanked by the parts of a triptych with the praying Virgin Mary and Saint John depicted) were largely produced for the churches of Rome and Lazio until the end of the 15th century. In the Renaissance, with its focus on individual religious practice, there is an increasing demand for small altars for home prayer, where artists implemented a new type of iconography, Veronica (Latin: Vera Icona, True Face), which (as well as Acheropita) was associated with the legend of the miraculous discovery of a relic and also endowed with a special protective power. Various interpretations of the illustrative images of the True Face in Italy and the artistic solutions found by the painters of Northern Europe finally lead to the formation and wide circulation in the Renaissance art of another iconographic variation - the Savior of the World (Latin: Salvator Mundi). This article discusses the pictorial and textual sources that determined the completion of the main iconographic types of Jesus Christ in Italian panel painting of the 13th – 15th centuries and with many of attracted samples studies the development of Savior’s iconography.

„Gyönyörű volt szál alakja”. Szent István király ikonográfiája a sokszorosított grafikában a 15. századtól a 19. század közepéig - Pótlások (új ábrázolások, adalékok és javítások)

More than twenty years ago, in the “millennial year” (1 January 2000–20 August 2001), a representative work of scholarship was released in honour of the millennial anniversary of the foundation of the state (budapest, boda Antikvárium, 2001) about the representations of the first king of Hungary, Saint Stephen, in the medium of graphic prints. The publication was reviewed by noted scholars and has been referred continuously in special literature ever since.It is common knowledge that the “image” of king Saint Stephen has been closely tied to Hungarian history, as a decisive personage at its turning points. After the publication of the book I have therefore kept tabs on and collected the data that enlarge, supplement and at a few times rectify its contents. for easier orientation, both the complementary material, the additions, and new representations are adjusted to the item numbers in the iconographic catalogue attached to the volume.From among the addenda, one picture is a complementation to item 71, because in 2001 no copy of its first publication (1692) could be had. Among the sixteen addenda (27, 37, 46, 49, 62, 70, 79, 95, 96, 104, 108, 126, 153, 188, 191, 219) item 46 also received a new picture which arose as the “b” variant of the copperplate engraving (first published in 1626) in a so-far unknown, unique function in 1632. Another six items of the addenda also contain corrections (69, 76, 94, 100, 139, 139, 208), of which two (76, 100) name the original publication (1609 and 1612, resp.) of the two prints in the Hungarian Historical portrait Gallery removed from their original function. Six items of the corrigenda (5, 61, 75, 179, 187) make the description more accurate, with a picture added to one (187), restoring a cut-out copy kept in the Hungarian Historical picture Gallery now to its original function.In the past two decades, the material of the volume has been enlarged by twenty five unpublished depictions, i.e. nearly by 10%. These pictures and descriptions collected on the basis of autopsy affect the period between 1493 and 1852, adjusted to the earlier chronology of the data. Their item number received the number of the preceding bibliographic description with the addition of an ‘a’ or two (5a, 35a, 55a, 70a, 79a, 81a, 90a, 90aa, 97a, 105a, 116a, 128a, 155a, 155aa, 187a, 188a, 192s, 193a, 215a, 216a, 216aa, 228a, 238a, 251a, 254a). The new representations are always attached pictures, and their description adopted the structure of the data in the 2001 volume.Order of new information after the number of the item:Title or iconographic type of the representationTitle of the print without the religious texts. Latter only given when there is no title.Form of appearanceDate of makingTechnique of productionPlace of making, signatureSize by the producing technique and by the state of the sheetBibliographic description of the source containing the representation, with the accurate place of the print in the work at issuePlace of preservation and mark of the copy about which the description is madeRemarksBibliography

100 years of Mari fine art: national neo-romanticism (1960–1980s)

Introduction. This article continues a series of publications dedicated to the 100th year of the Mari fine arts. National neo-romanticism appeared at the late Soviet stage. It is important to clearly identify it and to determine itы place in the process under study. Materials and Methods. The research methods are based on the author’s cultural and archetypal approach. The items of art, archival documents, media publications, catalogs were provided by the museums of the Republic of Mari El. Results and Discussion. Culture of the late Soviet period, as a background of national neo-romanticism, is characterized by an anthropological change, a demand for sincerity and expression of individuality. Within its framework, unofficial art, various forms of artistic escapism arose. The ethnical theme brought the main artistic innovations into the ‘severe style’ of the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic’s art. Visiting Russian artists, A. S. and B. S. Pushkovs, S. F. Podmarev, A. I. Butov, introduced the concept of “Mari El” into the artistic vocabulary of the Republic, created the iconographic type based on the traditional Birch and Woman archetypes, thereby contributed to the development of the new cultural archetype. National neo-romanticism emerged from the ‘severe style’ and simultaneously formed. Its essence is the poetization of the native culture. Z. F. Lavrentyev implemented it, first, through book graphics to be one of the determinants of ethnocultural reflection. A special role in the development of national neo-romanticism was played by young Mari artists N. V. Toktaulov, I. V. Efimov, I. M. Yamberdov. Conclusion. National neo-romanticism (1970–1980s) is a stage in the development of the Mari national fine arts originated within socialist realism (1940–1980s). But it goes beyond it due to the representations of the essential issues and approaching the archetypal principles of ethnoculture.

Regina Coeli—Doctrine and Iconography of the Virgin Mary’s Heavenly Royalty

This article aims to highlight the privileged status granted by Christianity to the Virgin Mary when considering her the Queen of Heaven. From the very early centuries of our era, this sublime title was assigned to the Virgin Mary, for her condition of Mother of God, by an increasing number of Church Fathers and theologians. Later, it was expounded by an uncountable number of medieval liturgical hymns. Finally, from the 12th century onwards, these textual proclamations were shaped in sculptures and paintings according to various iconographic types. The author will proceed by first analyzing a large corpus of texts by many Church Fathers, theologians, and hymnographers. Then, he will consider twenty sculptures and paintings which reflect the heavenly royalty of Mary according to five iconographic types.

Среди богатырей и дев: работа М.О. Микешина над визуальным образом России-матушки

The article considers a number of visual personifications of Russia in works by Mikhail O. Mikeshin (1835–1896). Their detailed interpretation in the context of the study of feminine national allegories in historiography has not been undertaken before. The author has offered an explanation of two key anthropomorphic allegories (the Maiden Russia and the Bogatyr / Vityaz) in a little-known painting by Mikeshin, The Coronation of Alexander III (1883). The article reconstructs the evolution of the image of the Maiden Russia in Mikeshin’s sculpture and graphics of the 1860s-1890s, which influenced the stereotypes of visual personifications of Russia (in the image of the Woman Warrior) in Russian culture of the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries. The identification of the image of the Bogatyr on the coronation painting has been carried out. Based on its comparison with the iconographic types of the Noble Prince Alexander Nevsky in the 19th century (which have been subject of research in modern historiography), the author substantiates the assumption that the Bogatyr in Mikheshin’s painting is the image of Saint Alexander Nevsky, the heaven patron of the dead Emperor Alexander II and the crowning Emperor Alexander III.

The Nursing Madonna in the Middle Ages: An Interdisciplinary Study

Because of the transgression of the first woman Eve, all medieval women bore the punishment, including the biological consequences related to pregnancy and birth. This affected the entire female gender, according to Judeo-Christian tradition. Although Mary was able to avoid some biological consequences, this was not the case with breastfeeding. This work aims to study sacred images—and especially those of the Nursing Mary—from an interdisciplinary point of view, by delving into rather unconventional sources such as medical treatises, whose perception of the female body may have influenced the creation and reception of certain iconographic types of the Virgin.

Иконографические особенности образа Непорочного Зачатия Богородицы – «Жена, облеченная в солнце»

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the formation and typological features of the iconography “The Women clothed with the Sun” that became the main type of the image “ The Immaculate Conception” in the European Christian art of the end of XVI – XVII centuries. A lot of specialists are sure that this iconography is stable and undeveloped but it’s wrong. The image of the Immaculate Conception as the Woman of Apocalipse has a long way of evolution and exists in the art in various iconographical types. The basic material are the works of the Spanish painting of the XVII-th cent.in which the iconography is very rich and various. In this article there is the analysis of a lot of works by the best painters of the “Golden Age” of the Spanish school: El Greco, Diego Velasquez, Fransisco Zurbaran, Bartolomeo Esteban Murillo. Also we research the genesis of this iconography in the art of the Late Gothic and Renaissance of France and Italy XVI- XVI centuries in the works by Giorgio Vasari, Piero di Cosimo, Ludovico Chigoli (Cardi). The evolution of the iconography developed from the use of a lot atributs and symbols with theological content to the so called mystical image where this content is demonstrated only by means the mode of painting.