The Umilenie Icon of the Mother of God (Seraphim-Diveyevo)
THE ICON SHOWN
- AUTHOR
- Anastasia Kaplii
- YEAR
- 2025
- MATERIALS
- Egg tempera, natural mineral pigments, gold
- TECHNIQUE
- Translucent layering with fine painterly strokes
- TRADITION
- Early Russian icon painting, inspired by the legacy of Andrei Rublev
- ORIGIN OF THE IMAGE
- Russia, eighteenth century. The author of Saint Seraphim of Sarov’s cell icon is unknown.
ABOUT THE IMAGE
“Joy of All Joys”
The Seraphim-Diveyevo Umilenie Icon of the Mother of God is an image of stillness, humility and inward prayer. It acquired its particular history through Saint Seraphim of Sarov, before whose cell icon a lamp burned continually. The saint called this image “Joy of All Joys”. Before the icon people pray for peace of soul, purity of heart, well-being in the family, motherhood and help in difficult circumstances.
The cell icon of the Mother of God before which Saint Seraphim prayed already existed during his lifetime. After his death in 1833 the image “Joy of All Joys”, or “Umilenie”, was given to the Diveyevo women’s community. It was precisely the link with Saint Seraphim that established the particular veneration of this version.
LETTER
The face is painted last. By that point nothing can be changed — neither the colour of the robes, nor the turn of the head, nor the gold behind the shoulders.
Gold here is neither ornament nor background. It is a refusal of space: the figure stands in no room, in no landscape.
An icon is not painted for a museum. It is placed at home, at eye level — and looked at for years.