Saints Sophia, Elpida (Hope), Pisti (Faith) & Agapi (Love) – Silkscreen on Naturally Aged Wood – Mount Athos

Description

Icon of Saint Sophia and Her Three Daughters on Naturally Aged Wood

In this exquisite silkscreen icon, the artist depicts Saint Sophia and her three daughters, Faith, Hope, and Love, who were martyred during the reign of Emperor Hadrian.

The three daughters of Saint Sophia were named after the New Testament verse: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Saint Sophia, a virtuous and God-fearing woman, was widowed early and moved to Rome with her three daughters. They were soon denounced as prominent Christians, and the emperor ordered their arrest.

After separating their mother, the daughters were interrogated. First, the 12-year-old Faith was brought before the emperor. Hadrian tried to tempt her with promises of wealth and happiness if she renounced Christ, but she stood firm in her resolve. After enduring torture, she was beheaded. Similarly, 10-year-old Hope also responded with unwavering faith, quoting Scripture and refusing to yield, leading to her martyrdom by beheading. Finally, 9-year-old Love declared her devotion to Christ, and she too was executed in the same manner.

Proud of her children, Sophia buried them with honor and stayed by their graves for three days, praying to God to take her as well. God heard her prayer, and Sophia passed away beside her daughters’ graves.

Their memory is celebrated on September 17th.

The monk who crafted this beautiful icon of Saint Sophia and her daughters used a piece of naturally aged wood, reclaimed from restoration work on a cell in Mount Athos. The naturally aged wood gives the icon a unique aesthetic and collectible value while carrying a piece of Athonite history beyond its borders.

Since the icon is handmade, and the wood is processed manually, slight variations may occur in the wood but not in the depiction.

The icon is available upon request.

Dimensions: 26 x 33 x 2.5 cm