Virgin Mary – Gold Printing with Sandblasting – Mount Athos

Description

Gold Printing with Sandblasting – Virgin Mary
The references to the Virgin Mary’s image in the New Testament begin with the Annunciation, where the Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary, delivering the joyous news that she has been chosen to bring the Son of God, Jesus Christ, into the world. The references continue throughout the description of Christ’s life, from His Birth to His Crucifixion. According to Christian tradition, the Virgin Mary was born in Jerusalem, the daughter of the shepherd Joachim and Anna, who came from the royal lineage of David. Anna was barren, but her infertility was miraculously cured, and Mary was born. The Orthodox Church celebrates this event of conception on December 9. In the “apocryphal” texts, there are also mentions of her Entrance into the Temple, Dormition, and Ascension.

Gold Printing with Sandblasting: Characteristics
In the image depicting the Apostles Peter and Paul, the monk iconographer used the gold printing technique to create a uniquely beautiful work. Gold printing is a type of thermographic technique. Thermography refers to the method in which very thin metallic foil is pressed onto surfaces such as wood, leather, cardboard, or plastic using pressure from a heated engraved plate (cliché). Surrounding the image, the technique of sandblasting is also used, which is a surface treatment method that achieves the erosion of part or all of a surface by blasting sand under pressure.

Dimensions: 14.5 x 18 x 0.5 cm
Origin: Mount Athos