Agia Paraskevi – Engraved Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Engraved Lithograph with Agia Paraskevi

Lithograph with Agia Paraskevi the Great Martyr. At the age of 20 she became an orphan and inherited a considerable fortune, which she sold by giving the money to the poor and sick, while teaching Christianity. Her action, however, became known to the Romans and she was called to an apology by the emperor, who asked her to deny her faith, which of course did not happen. She was immediately tortured and then taken to prison, but an Angel of the Lord freed her from bondage. To kill her, they put her in a large cauldron of hot oil, but she remained alive.

Emperor Antoninus, unable to believe it, approached the cauldron, but his eyes were injured and he became blind. According to tradition, Agia Paraskevi healed him miraculously (that’s why she is considered the protector of the eyes) and so Antoninus set her free. Years later she was recaptured by his successor Marcus Aurelius, who ordered the prefects to torture and behead her.

Engraved Lithography: Features

The work is crafted entirely by hand, without machinery, in carved natural wood. It is the work of hagiographer Athanasios, a student of the Athonite Ecclesiastical Academy, who remains faithful to Byzantine art as he was taught it on Mount Athos. His works are covered with pure beeswax so that they remain unchanged over time.

In this particular icon, the hagiographer monk used the technique of lithography to create a work of unique beauty. Specifically, using a lithographed copy of Byzantine art, the monk created this work following the traditional method of artificial aging, as taught in the hagiography workshops of the Athonite State. In fact, the artificial aging of hagiography is handmade, a process to which the monks of Mount Athos pay particular attention.

As the image is handmade and the wood is processed entirely by hand, there may be slight variations in the dimensions of each image.

Image available upon request.

Origin: Mount Athos