In 1453, the capitol of the Byzantine empire, Constantinople (also known as New Rome), was captured by Mehmed the Conqueror, the seventh Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. This effectively ended the 1500 year rule of Imperial Rome. And it ended the dominance of Constantinople as the Byzantine art center. Many artisans fled the city to relocate in Crete, an island controlled by Venetians, where the Cretan school was already producing art in the Byzantine style. Soon after Constantinople's fall, Crete emerged as the most important centre of art in the Greek world for the next 250 years. Towards the end of this period, the demand was so great that rather crude examples were produced in great quantity to meet their demand.This icon in the Byzantine style, is called Mother of God Hodegetria, after the first known example of this image type in the Hodegon Monastery in Constantinople. In this particular icon, the face of the Christ child does not come into contact with the Holy Mother's face. It is difficult to clearly identify the origin of this tempera on wood icon, but it probably was produced in Crete between the 15th and 17th centuries, however it clearly has traits exhibited by Russian Pskov icons of the 16th century. Crete, 16/17 century. 11.25 x 8.5 inches