19th Century Russian Icon of St. George of Lydda
Regular price $4,800.00
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A traditional Russian icon in tempera painting on wood, depicting St. George in Lydda, slaying a dragon who was said to have risen from a lake every day, robbing and eating humans. The backstory is that the king of Lydda decided to appease the dragon with human sacrifices determined by lottery. One day, the lot hit the king's daughter, the princess Elisaba of Atalia, and St. George decided to settle with the king that if he and his people converted to Christianity, he would kill the dragon. He led the dragon into the city along with the princess, who had tied the creature to her belt and successfully slayed and killed him; the whole city was then baptized. You can notice the king and queen of Lydda watching everything from the castle's balcony, while Christ Pantocrator is watching over from heaven.
St. George was a Roman soldier; he suffered under Emperor Diocletian in Nicomedia at the beginning of the IV Century. His relics were transferred by Christians to their homeland, Lydda, and there he was buried. When he knew that the emperor Diocletian was preparing a persecution go the Christians, St. George presented himself publicly before the emperor and denounced him. When threats and promises didn’t shake his resolve, he was subjected to brutal and unheard-of tortures, which he endured with great bravery, overcoming them by his faith and love towards Christ.
Dimensions:
17.5"H x 14"W x 1.25"D