Saint Paisios – Lithograph with Sandblasting – Mount Athos

Description

Lithograph with Sandblasting featuring Saint Paisios
Arsenios Eznepidis, as his worldly name was, was born in the village of Farasa in Cappadocia. On August 7, 1924, a week before leaving for Greece as part of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, he was baptized by his parish priest, Arsenios, who was later recognized as a Saint by the Orthodox Church in 1988.

His canonization as a Saint of the Orthodox Church took place on January 13, 2015, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day on July 12. In fact, in 2017, he was declared the patron Saint of the military branch of Communications by a decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.

In his last years, Saint Paisios lived in the small cell of Panagouda on Mount Athos, where he was visited by many people who came to hear him and receive his blessing. He lived an intense ascetic life, resting only 2 to 3 hours a day. After his death, he was buried at the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Souroti, Thessaloniki. Since then, every year, on the night of July 11-12, a vigil is held at the Holy Monastery, with thousands of faithful participating.

Lithograph with Sandblasting: Characteristics
In this particular image, the monk iconographer used the lithography technique to create a work of unique beauty. By using a lithographed copy of Byzantine art, the monk crafted this piece following the traditional method of artificial aging, as he had been taught in the iconography workshops of Mount Athos. The artificial aging of the icon is handmade, a process to which the monks of Mount Athos give special attention.

Around the image, the technique of sandblasting is also used. This is a process in which part or all of a surface is eroded by the projection of sand under pressure.

The image is available upon request.

Origin: Mount Athos
Dimensions: 20 x 26 x 2 cm