Saints Theodore – Antiqued Lithograph with Gold Leaf – Mount Athos

Description

Antiqued Lithograph with Saints Theodore

Saints Theodore refers to two Christian martyrs: Saint Theodore the Tyro and Saint Theodore the General. Saint Theodore the Tyro distinguished himself in the Roman legion of Tyre during the reigns of the emperors Maximian and Galerius. He refused to take part in the pagan sacrifices, leading to his being summoned by the commander, where he openly confessed his Christianity. His refusal to recant led to brutal torture, including being whipped and then having his flesh torn with sharp irons. Despite this, he never renounced Christ. Eventually, his torturers threw him into a furnace, where he gave up his spirit.

Saint Theodore the General was a Roman army officer. When the Emperor Licinius learned he was Christian, he tried to convert him. Initially, he invited him to offer sacrifices to the idols, but Theodore refused. Later, Theodore attended a grand pagan ceremony but, instead of sacrificing to the idols, he grabbed them and smashed them to pieces, giving the fragments to the poor to sell. Seeing this, Licinius ordered his arrest, and despite being tortured, Theodore refused to deny Christ. In the end, the soldiers crucified him, but when he did not die, the emperor ordered his beheading.

Antiqued Lithograph: Features

In this particular icon, the monk-artist used the technique of lithography to create a unique piece of art, framed with gold leaf. Specifically, using a lithographed replica of Byzantine art, the monk created this artwork following the traditional method of artificial aging, as taught in the iconography workshops of the Holy Mount Athos. The artificial aging process is handmade, a procedure to which the monks of Mount Athos give great importance.

Origin: Mount Athos