Saint Arsenios of Capadocia – Excavated Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Engraved Lithograph with Saint Arsenios Cappadocia

His Holiness Arsenios the Cappadocian was born around 1840 AD in Farasa, Cappadocia, with the secular name Theodore.

From an early age he was orphaned with his brother Vlasios and protected by their aunt. A miraculous event that happened to the children and the miraculous rescue of the then little Theodore by Saint George that saved him from certain drowning, resulted in Vlasios giving himself in his own way to God, praising Him as a teacher of Byzantine Music, and for Theodore to become a monk.

At the age of 26 he became a monk under the name Arsenios. However, he did not enjoy his peace, because Metropolitan Paisios II ordained him Diakos and sent him to Pharasa to teach letters to the abandoned children.  In the 30th year of his age he was ordained in Caesarea an elder with the title of Archimandrite and the blessing as a Spiritualist.

He lived in self-denial because he loved God first and then His image, neighbor. With the abundant Divine Grace endowed by God, he indiscriminately healed human suffering wherever he encountered him, Christians or Turks, with the result that his spiritual activity began to spread everywhere.  Innumerable are the miracles performed by the Saint by the grace of God.  When he raised his hands to plead with God for something, he would begin to plead with him in prayer and shouting, “My God!” as if his heart were being cut off at that moment, and you could see how he was grabbing Christ by the feet to make his request.

In addition to his other gifts, he also had a proactive gift. This, among other things, was evident at the baptism of little Arsenios (later Saint Paisios-July 12), to whom he gave his name to “leave a monk at his foot”, as he said.

He died on November 10, 1924 in Corfu.

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