Saint Catherine – Aged Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Aged Lithograph of Saint Catherine

Beautiful aged lithograph depicting Saint Catherine, who is honored on November 25th.

Saint Catherine, the All-Wise and Most Glorious Bride of Christ, was born into an aristocratic family from Alexandria and martyred in the early 4th century AD (304 AD). She was highly intelligent and passionate about learning. By the age of eighteen, she was well-versed in Greek, Roman, and Latin literature and philosophy. She was also thoroughly educated in the doctrines of the Christian faith.

When, under Maxentius (son of Maximian), a persecution against Christians took place, Catherine did not fear but boldly proclaimed that Jesus Christ is the only True God. For this reason, she was arrested by the governor of the region, who attempted to convince her to renounce her faith through discussions. When the governor realized the superiority of her words, he arranged a public debate with the most skilled orators of Alexandria, whom Catherine silenced. Not only that, but some of Catherine’s interlocutors were persuaded by her arguments and embraced the Christian faith.

Faced with this outcome, the governor ordered her to be harshly tortured in the hope that the saint would yield and renounce Christ. However, Catherine remained steadfast in her faith. She was eventually beheaded by the governor’s order.

According to tradition, after her martyrdom, angels took her holy relics to protect them and brought them to the top of Mount Sinai, where, many years later, holy ascetics found them. To this day, they are preserved in the Monastery of Saint Catherine on Sinai.

Aged Lithograph: Features

In this particular image, the iconographer monk used the technique of lithography to create a uniquely beautiful work of art. Specifically, using a lithographed copy of Byzantine art, the monk crafted this piece following the traditional method of artificial aging, as taught in the iconography workshops of the Athonite State. Moreover, the artificial aging of the icon is handmade, a process that monks from Mount Athos place great importance on.

Origin: Mount Athos