Saint George – Serigraph on Naturally Aged Wood – Mount Athos

Description

Icon of Saint George the Trophy-Bearer on Naturally Aged Wood

An icon of Saint George the Trophy-Bearer and Great Martyr, one of the most popular saints throughout the Christian world, on naturally aged wood from Mount Athos.

Saint George was born in Cappadocia in 275 AD to Christian parents. When his father was martyred for Christ, his mother and the ten-year-old George moved to her homeland, Palestine. At the age of 18, George enlisted in the Roman army. Emperor Diocletian, in his effort to eradicate Christians, gathered all the officials to take on the deadly campaign against them. George, being among them, confessed before the emperor that he was a Christian.

Diocletian was enraged and imprisoned George, subjecting him to a series of tortures. The executioners tied George to a large wheel. As the wheel began to turn, sharp iron spikes started cutting into his body. Then a voice was heard from heaven saying, “Do not be afraid, George, for I am with you,” and an angel freed the saint, healing his wounds.

Next, they threw George into a pit of lime and water to dissolve his bones. However, George remained unharmed. Diocletian then ordered that George be made to wear heated shoes with iron nails and forced to walk. Saint George prayed and walked without suffering any harm.

Subsequently, they whipped George, injuring his entire body. He continued to shine like an angel. They imprisoned him again. Then, Saint George had a dream in which Christ announced that he would receive the crown of martyrdom. The next morning, soldiers led George before Diocletian. Once again, George refused to sacrifice to the idols, and Diocletian ordered his beheading.

Saint George is considered the patron saint of Infantry and the Army. His feast day is celebrated on April 23. However, if this date falls during Lent (before Easter), his feast is celebrated on the day after Easter (Bright Monday).

The uniqueness of this icon comes not only from the stunning technique of the creator but also from the wood used by the monk who created this beautiful piece. It is naturally aged wood, which comes from the renovation of an Athonite cell. The monks kept the wood, cut it using special techniques, and preserved it to give it new life through this new use.

As the icon is handmade and the wood processing is done by hand, there may be slight variations in the wood, but not in the depiction.

The icon is available upon order.

Dimensions: 30 x 26 x 2.5 cm