The Icon of Saint Martial

The icon of Saint Martial has just been completed. It was named on the feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Martial was an orphan boy who was adopted by Saint Peter after the intercession of the Virgin Mary with Her Son, Jesus Christ. Martial died in Rome as a martyr as a very young adult before Peter was crucified.

The red tunic Martial is shown wearing and the cross he is holding in his right hand indicate the manner in which he died. The royal purple robe indicates the inheritance he subsequently attained. The lilies on the right indicate Martial’s purity and innocence.

The dimensions of the icon are 9″ x 12″. The materials included wood with natural gesso, silver leaf burnished by hand and natural egg tempera in the Russian-Byzantine tradition. The icon will be varnished with olifa in a few weeks’ time.