Such icons have been venerated in the
Eastern Church for centuries. Similar types of depiction are also found in
Madonna paintings in the
Western Church where they are called the
Madonna Eleusa, or the Virgin of Tenderness. By the 19th century examples such as the
Lady of Refuge type (e.g. the
Refugium Peccatorum Madonna by
Luigi Crosio) were widespread and they were also used in
retablos in
Mexican art. In
Eastern Orthodoxy the term
Panagia Eleousa is often used. The
Theotokos of Vladimir and
Theotokos of Pochayiv are well-known examples of this type of icon.
Eleusa is also used as epithet for describing and praising the
Theotokos (Virgin Mary) in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. While the Eastern Church does not generally create three-dimensional religious art, Eleusa-style
reliefs and sculptures, as well as icons, have also been used in the Western Church. The
Pelagonitissa is a variant in which the infant Jesus makes an abrupt movement. ==Gallery==