The icon of Theotokos Pyrovolithisa is a fresco on the lintel of the entrance of the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi. The Virgin Mary welcomes all visitors through the grace and beauty of her holy icon.
According to tradition, in 1822 a group of Turkish soldiers arrived at the monastery. One of them fired angrily at the icon of the Virgin Mary, hitting her left palm. The damage from the shot is still visible today. After this event, the soldier lost his mind and shortly afterwards hanged himself on the olive tree at the entrance of the monastery. Another Turkish soldier, who witnessed the event, reported to the commander what he saw, so that the monastery would not be blamed and sanctioned for the tragic event.
The representation corresponds to the iconographic type of Theotokos Hodegetria. The Virgin Mary holds Jesus in her left hand, while her right hand is placed at chest level. Jesus blesses the faithful and holds a closed scroll. To the right of the figure of the Virgin there is the inscription "Mother of God", while the halo of Jesus is also inscribed "He who is". It constitutes a particularly bright representation. Both the color choices and the decorative elements highlight the influences of Western art. The faces of the Holy Virgin and the Divine Infant are created in a relatively natural way, deviating slightly from the Byzantine iconographic type. In addition, their clothing contains details that secularise the representation, such as the Virgin's inner mantle and the gold ornamentation of her garment at neck level. To conclude, Jesus is also depicted in quite large dimensions that go beyond the usual iconographic type.
