Saint Mina of Egypt – Aged Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Antiqued Lithograph of Saint Mina

Saint Mina was a soldier in Cotyaeum in Phrygia, present-day Kütahya in Asia Minor. Later, he became a monk and, according to tradition, because he could not tolerate idolatry, he withdrew to the mountains of Phrygia, where he lived a life of fasting and prayer. It is noteworthy that other soldier friends of his followed him in his ascetic life.

During the persecution of Christians, he went down to Cotyaeum to support the persecuted. However, he was arrested, confessed his faith in Christ, endured horrific tortures, and was ultimately martyred by beheading. Christians took his deceased body and buried it, and later his sacred relics were transferred and buried in Egypt. Saint Mina is the patron saint of Heraklion, Crete, Kastoria, Eleftheroupoli in Kavala, and Salamina.

Antiqued Lithograph: Characteristics

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

Origin: Mount Athos