Saint Nicolas icon restoration

 Code: 0084
Saint Nicolas
Egg tempera
Unknown Iconographer
~1800 AD
Private Collection
2022.

Παναγία Βρεφοκρατούσα (λεπτομέρεια) - Panagia / Mother of God

 22χ30 εκατοστά / 8.6 x 11.8 inch.
Egg tempera.
2022.

Άγιοι Αρχάγγελοι Μιχαήλ και Γαβριήλ - Archangels Michael and Gabriel

 20x25cm
Egg tempera

gold leaf 22k on halos

IC XC restoration - Συντήρηση εικόνας Χριστού ευλογών

 

  

                                               Before and after the restoration.

                                               Codes: 0083A, 0083B

                                               
                                               2021.

Άγιος Νικηφόρος ο λεπρός - Saint Nikephoros the Leper

 15x20cm - 5.9x7.8inch.

  Egg tempera and gold leaf 23k on background.
  2021.

Ἀπολυτίκιον
Ήχος α΄.
Νικηφόρου Ὁσίου, τοῦ λεπροῦ τὰ παλαίσματα, καὶ τὴν ἐν ἀσκήσει ἀνδρείαν, κατεπλάγησαν Ἄγγελοι ὡς ἄλλος γὰρ Ἰὼβ τὰ ἀλγεινά, ὑπέμεινε δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν, νῦν δὲ δόξῃ ἐστεφάνωται παρ᾽ Αὐτοῦ, θαυμάτων διακρίσεσιν. Χαίροις τῶν Μοναστῶν χειραγωγέ, χαίροις φωτὸς ὁ πρόβολος· χαίροις ὁ εὐωδίας χαρμονήν, προχέων ἐκ λειψάνων σου.

Saints George the Great martyr and Anthony the Great - Οι άγιοι Γεώργιος ο Μεγαλομάρτυς και Αντώνιος ο Μέγας.

                        

                           Egg tempera and gold leaf. / Αυγοτέμπερα και φύλλο χρυσού.
                                                          28x21cm - 11x8.2inch.           2021.

 

Panagia Portaitissa (also known as the Iviron Theotokos) - Παναγία Πορταΐτισσα

60X40cm - 23,6X15,7inch.
Egg tempera and gold leaf 23k.
2021.

 A unique characteristic of this icon is what appears to be a scar on the Virgin Mary's right cheek or her chin. A number of different traditions exist to explain this, but the one most commonly held by Orthodox Christians is that the icon was stabbed by a soldier in Nicaea during the period of Byzantine iconoclasm under the Emperor Theophilus (829–842). According to tradition, when the icon was stabbed, blood miraculously flowed out of the wound.

Συντήρηση εικόνας Παναγίας Βρεφοκρατούσας - Panagia Vrefokratousa icon restoration

19th century
Unknown Iconographer
Egg tempera and covered gold leaf 22k on halos.
Silver cases 925.
Restoration 2021.

Codes: 6353/6451

Παναγία Παραμυθία - Panagia Paramythea (Mother of Consolation)

 30 x 40 cm - 11.8 x 15.7 inch.
Egg tembera and gold leaf 23k
2021.

History

The Vatopedi monastery acquired its name in the following manner. Near the monastery, the son of Emperor Theodosius the Great fell off a ship and into the sea. By miraculous intercession of the Theotokos and Virgin Mary, he was carried safely to shore unharmed and found sleeping in a bush, not far from the monastery. Thus the monastery is called Vatopedi (Vato + paidi, derived from "Batos paidion", the bush of the child).

The tradition tells us that on the icon, the original expression on the faces of the figures and the position of the bodies of Christ and the Blessed Virgin changed when the following strange miracle occurred, January 21

Pirates had secretly landed on the shore of the monastery and were hiding, waiting for the gates to open in the morning in order to launch an attack on the monastery of Vatopedi. The Abbot, who had remained behind after the end of Matins in order to continue his prayer, heard these words from the icon of the Blessed Virgin:

"Do not open the gates of the Monastery today, but go up on the walls and drive away the pirates."

As he turned to look, he saw the Theotokos turned towards her right shoulder and looking at him, while the Holy child was stretching out His hand to cover the mouth of His mother saying,

"No, Mother, do not watch over this sinful flock, let them fall under the swore of the pirates and be punished as they deserve."

But the Blessed Virgin, taking Her Son's hand in Hers and turning Her head a little to free her mouth, repeating the same words.

This last arrangement of the figures has remained permanently on the icon and has, thus, and has also earned it the rare iconographer's title of "Achaeropito". The monks, miraculously saved from the pirates, gave thanks to the Theotokos and named the icon "Paramythia", which means "calming down" or "restrain," words which equally convey the content of the miracle.

The icon is a wall-painting and is on the right choir of the chapel named after it. In memory of this miraculous event a perpetual lamp burns in front of the wonderworking icon. Every day a Canon of Supplication is chanted in honour of the icon and on Fridays the Divine Liturgy is celebrated.

Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Πρόδρομος - Saint John the Forerunner

 27x35cm  -  10.6x13.7inch.

Egg tempera 

2021.

As well as “the Baptist”, John is also known as “glorious prophet and forerunner of Christ”. Therefore, the presence of the wings is to symbolize John’s status as a divine messenger (in Greek “Evangelos”, from where the word “Angel” is derived). It’s worth noting that the wings of the archangels (Gabriel, Michael etc.) in icons are largely symbolic too, as they are not specifically described as having wings in the Scriptures.

But if that were all, then why aren’t the prophets of the Old Testament, or the Apostles, shown with the angelic wings of divine messenger? The answer, in the words of Jesus Christ Himself, is because “among those born of women there is no one greater than John;” moreover, he is “the culmination and the crown of the prophets”, as the hymn from the feast of John’s nativity proclaims. Therefore, St John is an especial example among the Saints of an earthly “angel” and a heavenly man. As such, he is also described as the “Angel of the Desert” in the inscriptions of icons.

The life John led in the desert was angelic for two reasons. On the one hand he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, becoming a herald of God like the angels. On the other, he lived a life of chastity, abstinence, and prayer, not being mindful of material needs, but with his attention fixed firmly to heaven. This is the life of the angels, and why the monastic way of life is sometimes called “angelic”, as well as why St John is the patron of monastics, hermits, and ascetics. For both reasons, it is appropriate to show St John with the spiritual wings of a dove.

She that once was barren now brings forth Christ’s Forerunner, John, the culmination and the crown of all the Prophets. For when he, in River Jordan, laid his hand on Him Whom the Prophets preached aforetime, he was revealed as God the Word’s fore-chosen Prophet, His mighty preacher, and His Forerunner in grace.
(Kontakion from the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist)