#holyicon

The featured icon most likely belongs to the Mstera icon painting school, which is known for its highly decorative style and abundance of details in the icons. In the picture, you can see a so-called Calendar icon for November, depicting the constellation of saints arranged chronologically according to their feast days in Orthodox Christianity. Among them are Menas of Egypt, Matrona of Moscow, Philip the Apostle, and Nikon of Radonezh, among others. The holy piece dates back to the late 1700s – early 1800s, with the icon painter being unknown.

The icon of the Virgin Hodegetria that you see in the picture is made with tempera on wood, but it is a riza, also called oklad, that distinguishes it from other images. Such metal covers serve three functions: they protect icons from candles and prevent the darkening of the surface; they direct the focus of a viewer; and, finally, they make icons more valuable because covers are often embellished with semi-precious or precious stones and pearls. The featured antique icon was sold for €2,000 by the Scandinavian auction house Bukowskis. 

The featured 17th-century icon depicts the massacres happening at Mount Sinai and Raithu. According to the legends, 79 holy monastic fathers were murdered by the Saracens and the Blemmyes (an Arab tribe). They are venerated on January 14 by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Greek Catholic Church. The icon is believed to be painted at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Solvychegodsk, Russia.

I didn't draw or paint for more than a decade. Secondly, I never made an icon before. My paint and brushes dried up, my hand was rusty, but that didn't stop me. This is my first "Holy Face." Perhaps it takes some further adjustments, but it looks pretty good for two-day work. #art #painting #icon #holyicon #holyface #jesus #jesuschrist #attilakarpathy https://www.instagram.com/p/CZW1w3ysqgS/?utm_medium=tumblr

2018