Russian Icon - Our Lady of Tenderness (The Eleusa)

The Eleusa (Greek: Ἐλεούσα – Tenderness or Showing Mercy) is a type of depiction of the Virgin Mary in icons in which the Christ Child is nestled against her cheek. In the Western Church, the type is often known as the Virgin of Tenderness. The Eleusa is also used as an epithet for describing and praising the Virgin Mary in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.