Description
Lithograph of the Virgin Portaitissa
A beautiful lithograph of the Virgin Portaitissa. The original and miraculous icon of the Virgin Portaitissa is housed at the Holy Monastery of Iviron, and according to tradition, it is the work of the Evangelist Luke. The title “Portaitissa” was given due to its location to the left of the central gate. In fact, the icon was revealed in a miraculous way to the fathers of the Monastery shortly after the completion of its construction.
The monks saw a fiery pillar rising from the depths of the sea and reaching the sky. This miracle continued for several days until the voice of the Virgin was heard, asking the abbot to walk into the sea and retrieve her icon. Indeed, the abbot took the icon as the Virgin had instructed him, and since then, it has remained at the Monastery of Iviron, which it continues to protect to this day.
Lithograph: Characteristics
This particular image was created using the lithography technique. The monk who created this work trained in the iconography workshops of the Monasteries of Mount Athos, where he learned both the lithography technique and the process of handmade artificial aging, which the icon of the Virgin has undergone. It is worth noting that the lithography technique in iconography is a printing technique.
Origin: Mount Athos