An Icon of the Virgin and Child, Veneto-Cretan, first half of the 16th century

In this panel, the painter stresses the human character of Christ who lovingly looks up at his mother, while carefully placing his hand on the fruit. The Virgin covers her son’s shoulders with part of her purple mantle (maphorion), thereby enhancing the intimate relationship between mother and child.

The piece of fruit in our icon probably evolved from the imperial orb. Christ carrying the orb often appears in icons of the Madonna della Consolazione. The fruit could refer to the carnation of God as the fruit coming from the loins of the Virgin or may be interpreted as a juxtaposed allusion to the Fall of Man and Redemption. The former commenced when Eve handed the apple from the Tree of Knowledge to Adam that led to their Expulsion from Paradise. Mary giving the fruit to Christ can thereby be paralleled to Eve giving the apple to Adam. The Birth of Christ made amends for Original Sin and therefore Christ can be seen as the New Adam.