Panagia Eptaspathi – Excavated Lithography – Mount Athos

Description

Excavated Lithograph with Virgin Mary Eptaspathi

In this most unusual image, the Virgin appears with her heart pierced by seven swords. In the most common pictorial type we see four swords to her left and three to her right.
Because Catholics have adopted the cult of the “heart of the Virgin”, many consider the icon of the Virgin of Seven Swords to be of Catholic origin. In reality, however, the image is related to the prophecy of Saint Simeon the Theodosius, recorded by the evangelist Luke, “and a sword shall pass through her soul…” (Luk. 2.35).
Τhe passage in question refers to the pain that the Virgin Mary would feel at the moment of separation from her beloved Son, when before her eyes He would be led to death on the cross.

Panagia Epta Spathia is also known as “the prophecy of Simeon the Righteous”. He is honored by the Church on August 13.

Excavated Lithography: Characteristics

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

In this particular image, the hagiographer monk used the lithography technique, creating 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 iconography workshops of the State of Athens. In fact, the artificial aging of the iconography is done by hand, a process to which the monks of Mount Athos give special importance.

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

Theimage is available upon request.

Origin: Mount Athos