The Mother of God of Trakai (Russian: Мадонна Тракайская) is a Roman Catholic icon, located in the main altarpiece of the St. Mary Church in Trakai, Lithuania.

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (November 2016)

Our Lady of Trakai
Russian: Мадонна Тракайская
Artist	Unknown
Year	1600 (1600)
Medium	oil on canvas
Dimensions	127.7 cm × 110.3 cm (50.3 in × 43.4 in)
Location	St. Mary Church, Trakai

Pope Clement XI sent Bishop Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski for the canonical coronation of the venerated image on 4 September 1718.

Analysis

The icon was painted in the middle of the 15th century and partially repainted in the early 17th century. However, according to legend, it was a gift from the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos to Grand Duke Vytautas on the occasion of his baptism.

Stefan Czarniecki, King Jan Kazimierz and Jan III Sobieski prayed before the icon.

Description

The icon depicts the Virgin Mary, with her right hand supporting baby Jesus sitting on her lap, while her left holds a branch with three flowers.

Gothic and Renaissance elements are visible in the icon. It combines old with new iconography, inspired by European art forms.

The icon, which Lithuanian researchers believe is from Belarus, is determined by a bright light color, soft shapes and the specificity of facial features. The depiction of individual traits is so specific, and the sensitivity of the living body texture is so sincere, that the image is more like a portrait than an icon.

Sources

• Гісторыя беларускага мастацтва: У 6 т. Т. 1: Ад старажытных часоў да другой паловы XVI cт. ; [рэд. кал.: С. В. Марцэлеў (гал.рэд.) [і інш.] ; рэд. тома С. В. Марцэлеў, Л. М. Дробаў ; АН БССР, Ін-т мастацтвазнаўства, этнаграфіі і фальклору. — Мінск : Навука і тэхніка, 1987. — 303 с. : iл.
• Przewodnik po sanktuariach maryjnych. Z dawna Polski tyś Królową, Szymanów 1996.
• A. Dylewski, M. Masłowski, B. Piotrowski, J. Swajdo, P. Wójcik: Litwa, Łotwa, Estonia i obwód kaliningradzki. Praktyczny przewodnik. Bielsko-Biała: Pascal, 2008. ISBN 978-83-7513-148-2.