The icon Coronation of the Mother of God

The icon Coronation of the Mother of God was painted around 1724 by Michał Rutkowycz for the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Kowalówka-Żurów (Cieszanów municipality). In the 19th century, on the reverse side of the already existing icon, an image of Mary Magdalene adoring the crucified Christ was added on a layer of glued canvas. The theme and depiction of the Coronation of the Mother of God by God the Father and God the Son in the presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove (the Holy Trinity of the New Testament) developed in Western European sacred art and became widespread from the 14th century onwards. In the Roman Catholic Church, the veneration of the Mother of God as Queen flourished especially after the Council of Trent, as a counter to Protestant opposition to the glorification of the Mother of God. Despite the fact that the text of the Bible never directly referred to the royal title of the Mother of God, already in the early centuries of Christianity, the Church Fathers referred to the Mother of God as the Queen reigning on earth and in heaven. In Byzantium, the Mother of Christ was honored with the title of "Basilissa", which was reserved for rulers, and hymns were composed in her honour. The verses from the psalm "at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir" (PS 45:9) were used in the 14th-15th centuries to depict the Mother of God in royal robes and a crown on her head, together with John the Baptist, adoring the enthroned Christ in majesty. However, Mary, elevated above all creatures by the dignity of the Divine Motherhood, was never depicted in Eastern Christian art in the act of coronation. The representations of the Coronation of the Mother of God, typical of Latin iconography, began to appear in icon painting in the territories of Ruthenia after the signing of the Union of Brest in the second half of the 17th century, as Western European sacred art influences grew stronger.  

Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967