The Umilenye—or Tenderness—Mother of God is one of the main types of Marian icons. As the name suggests, Tenderness icons are characterized by the close relationship between Jesus and his mother: their faces are close together as she embraces him in her arms. The intimacy of this icon is underscored by its personal scale. Mary wears a loose robe called a chiton and a hooded mantle called a maphorion, a traditional type of clothing worn in ancient Rome and later in Byzantium. The color purple indicates royalty.

In addition to the warm physical relationship shown in the icon, the figures’ eyes play an important role: Mary gazes into the distance as she contemplates her son’s death. The Tenderness icon juxtaposes human and divine themes, and portrays both love and sacrifice.

Unlike many icons, this icon has had no restorations; the original painting is completely intact. This icon is the oldest in the Museum’s collection, dating to about 1420. Museum staff had previously dated this icon to 1500 but in 2008, Dr. Nadezhda Bekanova of Moscow’s Tretyakov gallery amended the date based on her expert analysis of the icon’s wood and pigment and the pose and style of the Mother of God.