Hagia Sophia and her Three Daughters Faith, Hope and Love – Sandblasting Gold Printing – Mount Athos

Description

Sandblasting gold with Hagia Sophia and her three daughters Faith, Hope and Love

An amazing gold print depicting Hagia Sophia and her three daughters Faith, Hope and Love.

Hagia Sophia and her three daughters Faith, Hope and Love were martyred during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117 – 138 AD). The three daughters of Hagia Sophia took their names from the passage of the New Testament: “Now there remains faith, hope, love, the three things; Love is the greatest of these.” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Hagia Sophia, an honest and godly woman, was quickly widowed and with her three daughters came to Rome. There they were denounced as reputed Christians. Then the emperor was informed that the four women were Christians and ordered them arrested.

After isolating the mother, they began to interrogate the daughters. The twelve-year-old Faith was first presented to the king. With tempting words, Hadrian tried to persuade Faith to deny Christ and grant her everything to live a happy life, but he faced the young woman’s rigid mindset. The words of the Bible were a powerful response to the Faith: “In faith I live the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for my salvation” (Galatians 2:20), that is, “I live inspired by my faith in Christ, who loved me and gave Himself for my salvation.” Then, after torture, she was beheaded.

Ten-year-old Elpida also responded with the words of the Bible when asked if she was worth being subjected to such torture: “We have hoped for God to live, to save all men, even believers” (1 Timothy 4:10). That is, “yes, because we have placed our hopes in the living God, who is the savior of all people, and especially of believers.” Immediately then, she too was beheaded.

But nine-year-old Love didn’t lag behind in response. He said that her existence is directed “to the love of God and to the patience of Christ” (2 Thess. 3:5). Of course, it didn’t take long for them to behead her too.

Proud of her children, Sophia buried her daughters with honors and remained for three days in their graves, begging God to take her to him. God heard her prayer and Sophia delivered her spirit next to her children’s graves.

Sandblasted Gold Printing: Features

In the icon with the Vine, the hagiographer monk used the technique of gold printing creating a work of unique beauty. Gold-stamping is a kind of hot-stamping technique. Hot-stamping is the method by which very thin metal gold sheet is placed on surfaces such as wood, leather, cardboard, plastic by pressing a heated embossed plate (plate) on our surface. Around the image you also use the technique of sandblasting, it is the technical treatment that achieves the corrosion of part or all of a surface by pouring sand under pressure.

Dimensions: 14,5 x 18 x 0,5 cm.
Origin: Mount Athos