Icon of Virgin Mary Gerontissa (The Elderess) from Philotheou Monastery on Mount Athos
Icon's Positioning and Origin
The revered icon of the Virgin Mary Gerontissa, encased in a wooden frame, graces the northern wall of the main temple of Philotheou Monastery, adjacent to the northern entrance. Formerly, it belonged to the monastery's old metochion located in Nigrita, near the city of Serres.
Iconographic Characteristics
This representation of the Virgin Mary displays her face-on, holding Christ with her left hand as He blesses, holding a sealed scroll. The inscriptions on the icon translate to "Mother of God, Tenderness and Jesus Christ". From an iconographic standpoint, the Virgin's depiction aligns with a modified Hodegetria style. Notably, she doesn't raise her right hand but supports the left foot of the Infant—a detail observed from early 13th-century icons.
Historical and Stylistic Significance
The stylistic features and iconography link this icon to other icons of the Palaeologan era, like the Virgin Mary of Xenophontos Monastery from the early 13th century. Yet, the technical characteristics and figure representation associate this icon with the Cretan school of the 16th century, suggesting a slightly later dating around the second or third quarter of the 16th century.