Mary with Child (early 16th Century) - Public Domain Orthodox Painting
While Mary is most often depicted wearing a blue shawl, Ethiopian artists in the mid-16th century began painting the shawl red, a practice that related to their study of Cretan icons. The Ge'ez inscriptions found on the icons are instrumental in identifying specific individuals. For instance, St. Merkorewos traditionally rides a black, not a white horse; and the two monks holding prayer sticks are almost identical.
