Birth of the Virgin
Russian Icon, 17th century
31.1 x 26.9 cm
No. 2921
Feast Day: 8th of September
The icon follows the standard imagery of the Birth of the Virgin. On the left, we see Saint Anna reclining on a bed, attended by midwives. On the bottom right, the St Anna and the new-born are attended by midwives. Above them, atop a tower, is Joachim the father of the Virgin, he observes the scene from this isolated position under a ciborium. The imagery of the Birth of the Virgin (Nativity of the Theotokos) is taken from the apocryphal Book of James or Protevangelium, a late second century ‘gospel’ recounting the life of the Virgin.