Elder Tychon of Mount Athos – Engraved Lithography – Mount Athos

Description Engraved Lithograph of Elder Tychon of Mount Athos An exquisite icon depicting Elder Tychon of Mount Athos. Father Tychon was born in 1884 in Novaya Mikhaylovka, Russia. His parents, Pavlos and Helen, were devout people, and their son—Timothy, as he was known before monasticism—inherited their piety and love for God. From a young age, he desired to dedicate his life to the Lord. Though his parents saw his deep spiritual zeal, they hesitated to bless him to enter a monastery because of his lively nature. They wished for him to mature in thought and then decide on his own. However, they gave him their blessing to visit monasteries for three years, between the ages of 17 and 20. During that time, he made long pilgrimages to nearly 200 monasteries throughout Russia. Even when exhausted from traveling, he would humbly avoid hospitality in order to practice asceticism and not burden others. After visiting the monasteries of his homeland, he made a pilgrimage to the God-trodden Mount Sinai, where he stayed for two months, and then journeyed to the Holy Land, where he lived as an ascetic beyond the Jordan River for a time. Though the Holy Places helped him spiritually, he could not find inner stillness due to the restless spirit of the modern world. This led him to seek solitude on Mount Athos. His first obedience on Mount Athos was at the Cell of Bourazeri, where he stayed for five years. Because he could not find peace there due to the many visiting Russian pilgrims, he received a blessing to move to Karoulia, where he lived in asceticism for fifteen years. His time there was marked by intense spiritual struggle. With great devotion, he strove not only to appear like an angel through his monastic habit but also to become one in spirit. Engraved Lithograph: Features This piece is entirely handmade, without the use of machines, on engraved natural wood. It is the work of iconographer Athanasios, a student of the Athoniada Ecclesiastical Academy, who remains faithful to the Byzantine tradition as taught on Mount Athos. His works are coated with pure beeswax to ensure their durability over time. In this particular icon, the monastic iconographer used the lithographic technique to create a piece of exceptional beauty. Using a lithographic reproduction of Byzantine art, the monk completed this work by following the traditional method of artificial aging, as taught in the iconography workshops of the Athonite State. Notably, the artificial aging of icons is done by hand—a process the monks of Mount Athos consider highly significant. As the icon is entirely handmade and the wood is processed manually, slight variations in the dimensions of each piece may occur. This icon is available upon request. Origin: Mount Athos