Ukrainian ancient icon "Our Lady of the Apple'' 70x55 cm hand painted gold background

Ukrainian ancient icon "Our Lady of the Apple'' 70x55 cm hand painted gold background.Religious icon from central Ukraine dating back to the 19th century and restored in the 21st century, depicting the ''Madonna of the apple''. It is a work painted entirely by hand with oil colors on a wooden board treated with levkas and covered with gold leaves.The Virgin, depicted half-length, tenderly hugs the Child to herself, while the little one, in a gesture of extreme naturalness, tries to cover himself with his mother's mantle. Mary brings an apple close to her face, a symbol of original sin, of which Christ will be the redeemer. In Latin, mela (apple) translates as '' malum '', a play on words that brings to mind the tree of knowledge, desecrated by its ancestors. The work depicts the Virgin, who with a maternal gesture offers an apple to the Christ Child, in an attempt to distract him from what caused his sudden reaction of fear. In the serious and thoughtful face of the Virgin, a reference to the passion and death of the Son of God is evident.The Virgin icon has real dimensions of 71x57 cm. It is equipped on the back with a hook and chain to be hung and is accompanied by expertise drawn up by a specialist.