"Hodegetria" is a fresco painted using tempera on a wood panel. It is an icon of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus that Dionisy painted for the Ascension Cathedral. It was found in the Voznesensky monastery of the Mocsow Kremlin. It is considered the earliest work done by him and it is housed in the State Tretyakov Gallery. The fresco shows the Mother of God and Jesus in her arms with two angels on either side. The circular cracks indicate the presence of a halo around both the divine figures that has somehow faded with time. Their forms are elongated and exaggerated, amplifying their divinity. The simplification of their forms into more abstract shapes calls for a greater aura of mystery around their figures. The painting was made with tempera, which is a medium that is pigment mixed with an adhesive that was water soluble, such as egg yolk. The artist had to use quick deliberate strokes as the medium dried out pretty quick. The dried tempera had a silky sheen on top of it, making it look like it had a protective acrylic-resin emulsion over it. This was used by several cultures all over the world prior to the discovery of oil paints in the Renaissance. This is the reason for the limited palette, opaque shapes and abstract forms that constitute the "Hodegetria" painting.
The Hodegetria ("She Who Shows the Way") is an Orthodox icon in which the Virgin Mary indicates the infant Christ in order to show that he is the way to salvation; Christ is shown as a small adult carrying a scroll containing the divine law, and is dressed in gold robes which represent heavenly light, in contrast to Mary's earthy red cloak, with both figures looking out with a serious and timelessly devout expression.
