Saint Demetrius – Aged Lithograph with Gold Leaf – Mount Athos

Description

Aged Lithograph with Saint Demetrius

An amazing aged lithograph featuring Saint Demetrius, the patron saint and protector of Thessaloniki. In the figure of Saint Demetrius, Thessaloniki sees its protector and liberator. This is not only because the city’s liberation from the Ottomans in 1912 coincided with the feast of the saint, but also because, as tradition says, before the city’s liberation, its inhabitants saw the saint on horseback at the White Tower, encouraging them. According to Christian tradition, Saint Demetrius lived and was martyred in Thessaloniki during the reign of Diocletian.

Aged Lithograph: Features

In this particular image, the monk-artist used the technique of lithography to create a uniquely beautiful work, adorned with gold leaf around the edges. Specifically, using a lithographed copy of Byzantine art, the monk created this piece following the traditional method of artificial aging, as he was taught in the iconography workshops of the Athonite Monastic State. Indeed, the artificial aging of the icon is handmade, a process to which the monks of Mount Athos give special attention.

Origin: Mount Athos