Saint Ephraim the Cook – Aged Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Aged Lithograph with Saint Euphronius the Cook
Saint Euphronius, whose life is mentioned in the Synaxarion of Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite, was a cook throughout his life. It is unknown in which historical period he lived, but Saint Euphronius is considered the patron saint of cooks. In Nedousa, Messinia, a church is currently under construction in his honor.

As noted by Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite, Saint Euphronius was illiterate, having been raised by peasant parents. As he grew up, he was drawn to the monastic life, and thus, leaving his home, he went to a monastery where he was tonsured as a monk. There, it seems that he was ridiculed by the other monks because he worked in the kitchen, though he wasn’t particularly skilled at it.

Aged Lithograph: Features
In this particular image, the monk iconographer employed the lithography technique to create a work of unique beauty. Specifically, by 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. In fact, the artificial aging of the icon is handcrafted, a process in which the monks of Mount Athos place great importance.

Origin: Mount Athos