07 Works, Today, June 10th, is Saints Antonina and Alexander's day, his story in Paintings #161

Unknown artist
The Holy Martyrs Alexander and Antonina the Virgin

The Holy Martyrs Alexander and Antonina the Virgin. Saint Antonina was from the city of Krodamos. She was arrested for being a Christian, and was brought before the governor Festus. He urged her to worship the pagan gods, promising to make her a priestess of the goddess Artemis. 

Unknown artist
Artemis

Wall painting from Stabiae

Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.

But the saint confessed Christ, and she urged the governor to renounce the worship of demons in the form of idols. Festus gave orders to strike the saint on the face and lock her up in prison.

Unknown artist
Holy Martyr Antonina

The martyr spent all her time at prayer, she ate and drank nothing, but then she heard the voice of God, “Antonina, fortify yourself with food and be brave, for I am with you.” 

Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova 

Holy Martyr Antonina, c. 2009

The halo is decorated with emeralds, the borders are covered with a silver "risa"

Private collection

Iconographers Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova have devoted their lives to researching, assimilating, fabricating, extending and reinterpreting this time-honored Orthodox Christian tradition.

The couple have produced more than 200 icons, which reflect centuries-old theological vocabulary and requisite mastery of the ancient, laborious egg tempera painting technique. They succeed in effectively translating a visual language so that it is comprehensible to contemporary viewers. Each icon is a unique undertaking, a specific realization. 

Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova were born in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. Philip learned his trade from his father, an orthodox priest and iconographer, at a time when any Christian art in the Soviet Union was considered “religious propaganda.” A graduate of State Academic Institute of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg (Russia), Philip met and married Olga, a museum professional there. Together they founded Sacred Murals Studio, which has created icons and frescoes for Christian churches of different denominations in the U.S. and Russia. Since 2004, Philip and Olga have been teaching icon painting as a series of courses in Australia, Canada, Russia and the United States. More on Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova 

When they led her before the governor again, the martyr continued to stand up for the Christian Faith and to denounce the pagans.

Russian Iconotheke

St Martyr Antonina of Constantinople & Selected Saints, c. 1890

Egg tempera on gessoed wood

16 x 13 1/2 in (41 x 34)

Private collection

The governor decided to give the holy virgin over for defilement by soldiers, but the Lord inspired one of them, Saint Alexander, to save the holy virgin. He sought permission to go in to her on the pretext that he might be able to convince her to obey the governor’s will. Saint Alexander then suggested that she put on his military attire and flee. Saint Antonina was afraid, but the Lord ordered her to agree.

No one recognized her dressed as a soldier, and she walked out of prison. The soldiers sent by Festus found Saint Alexander alone in the cell. He would not respond to the questions of the governor, and so he was tortured and mercilessly beaten. Through the inspiration of the Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Antonina also came to stand before Festus.

Unknown artist
Soldiers cut off their hands, then they smeared them with pitch and threw them into a pit where a fire was burning

Soldiers cut off their hands, then they smeared them with pitch and threw them into a pit where a fire was burning. When the fire went out, they threw snakes into the pit, so that Christians would not be able to gather up the bones of the martyrs. Returning home, Festus became numb, and was able neither to eat nor to drink. He died after seven days of terrible torment. More on Saints Antonina and Alexander

Unknown artist
Lives of all saints commemorated on June 10

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