Oct 25, 2021
Hodegetria of Smolensk, also known as Our Lady of Smolensk, was painted in c. 1500 by Dionisius, an icon painter of the 15th and 16th centuries. It is an iconographic depiction of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus in her arms. Nowadays, the icon is held in the State Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg. Dionisius’ version of the Theotokos of Smolensk stands as an example of refined icon painting technique and rich symbolism. The original icon of the Hodegetria type, however, is believed to have been lost long ago.