St Maria (Skobtsova) of Paris (1891-1945)
One of the most inspiring modern day saints with an astonishingly rich and varied life. She was a Russian intellectual, poet, nun and also a gifted artist, who lived in France and died in Ravensbruck choosing to go to the gas chamber in place of another prisoner. In Nazi-occupied Paris Mother Maria together with Fr […]
St Xenia of Petersburg (1719-1803)
Widowed and childless at 26, Xenia Grigoryevna Petrova gave away her considerable possessions to the poor and took upon herself the form of asceticism probably most difficult for us to understand. She became a fool-for-Christ, deliberately renouncing not just material possessions but also the comfort, dignity and security which come from being considered respectable and […]
The Myrrh-Bearing Women
This is the Easter icon. It shows the women who went to the tomb of Christ to anoint his body and found the tomb empty. An angel sat on the stone that rolled away from the entrance to the tomb and told them that Christ was raised from the dead and commanded them to go […]
The Annunciation
The Annunciation is one of the twelve great feasts of the liturgical year. The feast of the Annunciation is celebrated on 25th March. The icon of the Annunciation is then placed in the centre of the church for veneration. Additionally there is often the image of the Annunciation on the Royal Doors in the iconostasis, […]
Christ Pantocrator – 15 cm x 25 cm – £400
Pantocrator means Ruler of All (not just all people, but everything). In this type of icons Christ is seen holding a book or a scroll in his left hand, his right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing. Christ is shown wearing a blue outer garment – symbolising divinity, and earthy red under garment […]
St Seraphim of Sarov (1754 – 1833)
Everybody’s favourite saint. The most renowned Orthodox monk and mystic, and spiritual elder. St Seraphim was a true giant of contemplative prayer, having spent 25 years living as a hermit in the forest of Sarov. For three of those years Seraphim prayed every night, all night kneeling on a rock, with his arms raised. St […]
Saint John the Forerunner
Also known as St John the Baptist. One of the most intriguing and enigmatic characters in the Bible and a fascinating subject to paint. About St John the Forerunner there are more questions than answers. He is known as “The friend of the Bridegroom”, “the voice of one crying in the wilderness”, “the witness who […]