Do not weep for Me Mother | Lithography print in wooden frame covered with glass | Size: 24x20 cm/ 9.5"x7.8"

The icon of the Mother of God "Do not weep for Me Mother" is a very rare icon. It depicts the Mother of God weeping over the Savior who is supposed to be in the tomb.Iconographic composition dedicated to the mourning of Christ by the Mother of God. Sometimes called "Mourning for Christ", in Greek – "Pieta".

This icon participated in the Divine Service only once a year, on Holy Week, it was laid out on the lectern most often on Good Friday. This is an image of Christ's steadfastness before the torments prepared for Him. The name is taken from the irmos of the ninth song of the canon of Cosmas of Mayum on Great Saturday, which also served as one of the sources of iconography: "Do not weep for me, Mother, seeing in the grave, You have conceived a Son in his womb without semen: I will rise up and be glorified, and I will ascend with glory unceasingly, as God, by faith and love magnifying you."

Several small, so-called "prayer" icons belong to the era of John IV the Terrible.

Among them, the icon "Don't Cry for Me, Mother", which is not bright in colors, but extremely interesting in its plot, deserves attention. The icon depicts the mourning of Christ by his mother Mary.