Saint Demetrius – Canvas Icon – Mount Athos

Description

Canvas Icon of Saint Demetrius

An exact replica of the original icon, painted on canvas, depicting Saint Demetrius, the protector and patron saint of Thessaloniki. His memory is honored and celebrated with grandeur in the city on October 26th.

In the figure of Saint Demetrius, Thessaloniki sees its protector and liberator. Not only because the city’s liberation from the Ottomans in 1912 coincided with the feast of the Saint, but also because, according to tradition, before the liberation of Thessaloniki, the city’s inhabitants saw the Saint on horseback at the White Tower, encouraging them.

Demetrius was born into an aristocratic family in Thessaloniki. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Roman army, and at the age of 22, he held the rank of commander. As an officer in the Roman army under the tetrarch (and later emperor) Galerius Maximian, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, he became a Christian and was imprisoned in Thessaloniki in 303 AD for disregarding the emperor’s decree “on the renunciation of Christianity.”

In prison, there was a young Christian named Nestor (October 27), who was about to face the terrifying gladiator of the time, Lyaeus, in a duel. Saint Demetrius gave him his blessing, and as a result, Nestor defeated Lyaeus, causing the emperor’s wrath. Both were ordered to be executed, Demetrius by being speared, and Nestor by decapitation. The body of the Saint was buried at the site of his martyrdom, where a magnificent church was later built in his honor. The tomb became a deep well that exuded myrrh, earning him the title “Myroblytos” (Myrrh-streaming).

In Byzantine icons and modern hagiography, Saint Demetrius is often depicted as a horseman on a red horse (in contrast to Saint George’s white horse) trampling the unbeliever Lyaeus.

Canvas Icon – Features

In the technique of printing on canvas, the iconographer monk used a replica of a Byzantine icon and embellished the work with embossed elements. The construction of the icon is done entirely by hand, using an aging technique. The canvas is treated with plaster so that the colors of the icon remain unchanged over time.

The icon is available upon order

Origin: Mount Athos

Dimensions: 17 x 26 x 2 cm