On 3 April 2026 the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus (Minsk, 24 K. Marx St.) will open the exhibition Five Centuries of Marian Veneration: Reversed Perspective. From the 18th to the 14th century.
The exhibition Five Centuries of Marian Veneration: Reversed Perspective. From the 18th to the 14th century is the second major collaborative project of the Novgorod National Museum Reserve and the National Museum of Belarus. The partnership of our two museums began with projects dedicated to Christian iconography and medieval art, subjects which bind our two countries culturally.
The exhibition’s concept lies in the attempt to display treasures of Belarusian and Novgorod iconography in “reversed perspective” – in a movement against time, from the baroque delights of
18th-century Belarusian and Novgorod icons to the golden age of Russian icon painting in the 14th and 15th centuries. It is an approach that allows the visitor to experience a brief but eventful journey – to admire the delicacy of details, the mixture of canonical and realistic elements, the angels’ childlike faces and realistic, peasant-like images of the apostles, the baroque excesses and folkish decor of 18th-century icons, to walk through Marian images of the “rebellious” 17th century (when Belarusian masters became the teachers and trend-setters in Muscovite Russia), and to finish with “golden age” masterpieces of the 14th–15th centuries.
Numerous churches are dedicated to Virgin Mary; Her image occupies a paramount place in the system of church art, and is embodied in masterpieces of icon painting, embroidery, decorative and applied arts.
The image of the Theotokos (Mother of God) occupies a truly special place in the spiritual tradition of Christianity. Numerous symbolic aspects of the veneration of Our Lady are expressed in the variety of the Holy Virgin’ iconography. Among the oldest types are images of Virgin Mary and Child enthroned, full of regal dignity, and the majestic image of Our Lady Orans (from Latin for “one who is praying”) with Her hands raised in the traditional gesture of intercessory prayer. The Hagiosoritissa (in Russian tradition – the Intercessor) has been known from the 8th century. She is depicted in half-length, standing alone, with hands lifted up in prayer to Christ. One of the most widespread types in Byzantine art is a solemn variant of the Hodegetria (from Greek for “guide”), which traces its origin to the icon painted, according to legend, by Saint Luke the Evangelist. The image of the Eleusa (from Greek for “merciful”; in Russian tradition – Our Lady of Tenderness) is imbued with a particular gentle sadness, serving as an embodiment of sacrificial maternal love and compassion.
Images of Our Lady constitute a significant part of the Novgorod Museum Reserve’s and the National Art Museum of Belarus’ rich collections. The exhibits on display reveal the centuries-long history of veneration of the image of the Theotokos – from masterpieces of the 14th–16th century, created according to the Byzantine tradition, to icons painted in the Early Modern era, which was stylistically influenced by European artistic culture.
The exhibition will run until 14 June 2026.
