The artwork titled “Praises of the Theotokos. Virgin with Tree of Jesse,” created by “Orthodox Icons” around the year 1600, employs tempera, wood, and gold as its mediums. This piece is associated with the Cretan school of icon painting and measures 60 x 46 cm. The genre of the artwork is icon, which places it within the context of religious art, specifically focusing on the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. It currently resides in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia.
The artwork presents a deeply symbolic and religious composition, central to which is the Virgin Mary seated with the Christ Child on her lap. Both figures are depicted with dignified and serene expressions, surrounded by a vibrant and intricate Tree of Jesse. This tree, significant in Christian iconography, grows from the reclining figure at the bottom and branches out to encompass various prophets and ancestors in circular medallions. Each figure is rendered in vivid colors, with golden backgrounds emphasizing their holy and divine nature. The Virgin Mary and Christ are adorned with halos, reinforcing their sacred status in the Christian tradition. The utilization of gold imparts a luminous quality, enhancing the spiritual and transcendent essence of the artwork.