Virgin of the Guide – Serigraph on Naturally Aged Wood – Mount Athos

Description

Icon of the Virgin of the Guide on Naturally Aged Wood

An amazing icon of the Virgin of the Guide on naturally aged wood, created by a monk iconographer from Mount Athos.

The original icon of the Virgin of the Guide was initially located at the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, from where it mysteriously vanished.

According to tradition, the icon of the Guide disappeared twice during the 1730s. In both cases, there was no violation of the monastery, and the icon was eventually found at the Holy Monastery of Xenophontos. Eventually, the fathers of Vatopedi realized that the icon was vanishing in a miraculous way and did not wish to oppose the decision of the Virgin. Since then, the icon of the Virgin of the Guide has been housed in the Katholikon of the Holy Monastery of Xenophontos.

According to Christian tradition, the icon of the Virgin of the Guide is historically the first icon of the Church, and it is believed to have been painted by the Evangelist Luke himself. Many miracles are attributed to it, one of which occurred in 717 AD when Constantinople was saved from the Arabs.

The specific piece of wood used for this work comes from restoration work on a cell of Mount Athos. The wood’s grain, cracks, knots, protrusions, and other features remain intact, indicating not only its age but also its daily use. The entire composition respects the age of the wood and faithfully reflects the Byzantine tradition of Mount Athos.

Since the icon is handmade and the wood processing is done by hand, there may be slight variations in the wood, but not in the depiction.

The icon is available upon request.

Origin: Mount Athos

Dimensions: 18.5 x 25 x 2 cm