Icon of the Mother of God Eleusa (Tender) by Monika Frys-Żurek

This icon was created by me on a field linden wood panel in A3 format (30 × 42 cm), reinforced with oak battens, following the traditional icon-painting technique that combines spiritual focus, prayer, and precise, multi-stage manual work. The frame is protected with acrylic paint, which prevents the wood from drying out. Due to the specific nature of the panel, it cannot be framed with an additional frame — the battens make this impossible.

The subject of the Mother of God with the Child is based on the Eleusa iconographic type, meaning “Tenderness.” This depiction shows the special, intimate bond between Mary and Jesus — the gesture of closeness and embrace symbolizes not only maternal love but also Christ’s love for the world and all people.

Painting this icon was a process full of silence and contemplation — each layer of pigment was applied with intention and care to achieve depth of color and light. The richness of the decorations, particularly visible on the ornamental patterns of the garments, emphasizes its solemn, sacred character.

This is not just an image — it is a prayer written in color.

The icon is available exclusively by commission.
Each piece is created by hand in my studio, maintaining fidelity to the original, but — as with any true handcrafted work — subtle differences in detail may occur. Please note that the way colors are displayed depends on your device settings and may not fully reflect the actual hues of the icon.

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The creative process began by transferring the sketch onto the panel, after which I carved the boundary between the area intended for gilding and the rest of the painted surface — all in traditional chalk gesso, which I then carefully polished with felt. On the prepared surface, I applied two layers of instacol glue (mixed 1:1 with distilled water), with 15-minute intervals between applications.

The background of the icon was created using 23 ¾ karat gold leaf, giving it a unique, luminous character. The gilding was protected with Lustrina, which adds a subtle sheen to the surface.

For the painting, I used natural pigments: light ochre, natural umber, Cypriot umber, natural sienna, burnt dark umber (the earth pigments), and golden ochre; and synthetic pigments: titanium white, Prussian blue (particularly for the maphorion — the veil over the head and shoulders), cadmium yellow, and cadmium red. The final touches, especially where the gilding meets the painted surface, were done with acrylic paints, which allowed for precise detailing.

The icon is available exclusively by commission.
Each piece is handcrafted in my studio, maintaining fidelity to the original, but — as with any true handcrafted work — subtle differences in details may occur. Please note that the way colors are displayed depends on your device settings and may not fully reflect the actual hues of the icon.