The Eleusa ( — tenderness or showing mercy) is a type of depiction of the Virgin Mary (often in icon

Icon

An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...

s) in which the infant Jesus Christ is nestled against her cheek.

Depictions

Such icons have been venerated in the Eastern Church for centuries. Similar types of depictions are also found in Madonna

Madonna (art)

Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...

 paintings in the Western Church where they are called the Madonna Eleusa. By the 19th century examples such as Lady of refuge

Refugium Peccatorum

meaning Refuge of Sinners is a Roman Catholic title for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its use goes back to Saint Germanus of Constantinople in the 8th century....

(e.g. by Luigi Crosio

Refugium Peccatorum Madonna

Refugium Peccatorum Madonna or the Refuge of Sinners Madonna is a painting by the Italian artist Luigi Crosio. It was painted in 1898.Crosio originally painted the Madonna for the Kuenzil Brothers in Switzerland. In 1964 the Swiss province of the Schoenstatt Sisters purchased the original painting...

) were widespread and they were also used in retablo

Retablo

A Retablo or lamina is a Latin American devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art....

s in Mexican art

Mexican art

Mexican art consists of the various visual and plastic arts which developed over the geographical area now known as Mexico. The development of these arts roughly follow the history of Mexico, divided into the Mesoamerican era, the colonial period, with the period after the gaining of Independence...

.

In Eastern Orthodoxy

Orthodox Christianity

The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...

 the term Panagia Eleousa is often used. The Theotokos of Vladimir

Theotokos of Vladimir

The Theotokos of Vladimir , also known as Our Lady of Vladimir or Virgin of Vladimir and "The Vladimir Madonna" - is one of the most venerated Orthodox icons and a typical example of Eleusa Byzantine iconography. The Theotokos is regarded as the holy protectress of Russia...

 and Theotokos of Pochayiv

Theotokos of Pochayiv

Theotokos of Pochayiv is an Eastern Orthodox icon of the Virgin Mary, painted in a late Byzantine style, of the Eleusa iconographic type. Like many famous icons, it is now usually displayed with most of the surface except the faces covered by an elaborate frame in precious metals, or riza.It has...

 are well-known examples of this type of icon. Eleusa is also used as epithet for describing and praising the Theotokos

Theotokos

Theotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...

 (Virgin Mary) in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.

While the Eastern Church does not venerate three dimensional objects, Eleusa style relief

Relief

Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...

s and sculptures, as well as icons, have also been used in the Western Church.

See also

• List of Theotokos of St. Theodore icons
• Marian devotions
  Marian devotions
  A Marian devotion is a gift of oneself, or one's activities to the Virgin Mary. It is a willingness and desire to dedicate oneself to, or venerate her; either in terms of prayers or in terms of a set of pious acts...
  
  
• Marian art