Saint Maximus the Confessor – Aged Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Antiqued Lithograph with Saint Maximus the Confessor

Saint Maximus the Confessor was born in Constantinople in 580 AD to wealthy and noble parents.

He pursued theological, philological, and philosophical studies. He was appointed as the chief secretary to Emperor Heraclius, but he quickly resigned to defend the truths of his faith against the heresy of the Monothelites.

He became a monk and began a strenuous battle against the heretics, encountering many obstacles, especially from Emperor Constans, who went so far as to convene a false council that condemned and anathematized the saint, ultimately handing him over to the city prefect to be punished. He was flogged, and eventually, his tongue and right hand were cut off.

His mutilated body miraculously endured for three years as a testimony to his faith and devotion to God. After a brief illness, he peacefully passed away in his place of exile. His holy relics were buried in the Monastery of Saint Arsenius, in the land of the Lazes. From his grave, light would appear every night, illuminating the area, a fact that testified to his sanctity.

The Church commemorates his memory on January 21st.

Antiqued Lithograph: Characteristics

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

Origin: Mount Athos