Saint Eustratius – Aged Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Aged Lithograph Depicting Saint Eustratius

The Saints Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius, and Orestes were martyred during the severe persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian.

Saint Eustratius, a senior officer, was captured by Duke Lysias. After torturing him in the most horrific ways, he sent him to the governor Agricolaus. Renowned for his cruelty towards Christians, Agricolaus forced Eustratius to walk wearing iron shoes with sharp nails embedded inside. He ultimately executed him by throwing him into a fire.

Auxentius, a priest, was beheaded. Mardarius was tortured by having his ankles pierced, then hung upside down and burned. Eugene, an officer, died after having his tongue and hands cut off and his legs broken. The soldier Orestes was executed by being laid on a red-hot iron bed.

Their memory is commemorated on December 13.

Aged Lithograph: Characteristics

This specific image was created using the lithography technique, which is taught in the iconography workshops of Mount Athos and is also utilized by many monks to create exquisite works of art. In this particular case, the monk used a lithographed copy of Byzantine art and crafted this piece following the traditional artificial aging method. The lithography technique in iconography is essentially a printing technique.

Origin: Mount Athos