Mother of God Guiding Star
Mother of God Guiding Star
Mother of God Guiding Star

Mother of God Guiding Star

Author: N / A

Created, location: 18th century; the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Material / technique: tempera on wood, silver coating and varnishoil on canvas.

Dimensions: 101x61 cm.

The Mother of God Guiding Star or the One Who Shows the Way (Hodegetria) is an iconographic depiction of The Blessed Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus. Mary shows the Saviour, who is the way, the truth and the life. She is portrayed to her waist, her head and shoulders are draped in a robe, she holds the Infant Jesus, who is giving blessing, on her left arm. The stars on the robe echo the iconic tradition of painting stars on the forehead or shoulders of the Mother of God, which symbolise triple chastity – before childbirth, and during and after childbirth.

Reference: "The Lithuanian art collection of Jaunius Gumbis". Museum and Collector - 6. Vilnius: National Museum of Lithuania, 2016, P. 142.

Exhibition: Exhibition of the collection of Lithuanian art of dr. Jaunius Gumbis "Collected and Preserved", September 2016 - January 2017, National Museum of Lithuania, Vilnius.

Published: "The Lithuanian art collection of Jaunius Gumbis". Museum and Collector - 6. Vilnius: National Museum of Lithuania, 2016, P. 143.

Photographs: display in the exhibition "Collected and Preserved", September 2016 - January 2017, National Museum of Lithuania, Vilnius.