Saint John of the Cross icon, Handmade Greek Catholic Orthodox icon of the Carmelite Mystic, Byzantine art wall hanging wood plaque, religious decor

Bring the spiritual elegance of Byzantine art into your home with this exquisite, handmade icon of Saint John of the Cross, the Carmelite mystic and Doctor of the Church. Crafted with reverence, this piece makes a profound addition to any prayer corner or a deeply meaningful religious gift.

Product Specifications

• Origin: 100% Handmade in Greece
• Technique: Lithography on wood with double varnish and handmade artificial ageing
• Mounting: Includes a built-in wall hook for easy hanging

The Significance of Saint John of the Cross

This wonderful icon has been created with the technique of lithography and has a double varnish to ensure waterproof and duration in time. The creator of this icon has learned the canonization of iconography in workshops of the Monasteries of Mount Athos, where he was taught both the technique of lithography and the process of handmade artificial ageing.

Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591) was born Juan de Yepes in Fontiveros, Spain, into deep poverty after the early death of his father. He became a Carmelite friar and, together with Saint Teresa of Ávila, laboured for the reform and renewal of the order, seeking a stricter life of prayer, poverty and silence.

For this work he was imprisoned by those who opposed the reform and held for months in a narrow cell — and it was there, in darkness and deprivation, that he composed some of the most luminous spiritual poetry ever written. His writings, above all the "Dark Night of the Soul" and the "Spiritual Canticle," describe the soul's painful yet loving purification on its way to union with God, and remain among the great treasures of Christian mystical literature. Declared a Doctor of the Church, he is celebrated on 14 December.

As a devotional icon, Saint John of the Cross is a sign of perseverance in prayer, patience in trial and the light that God gives in darkness — a treasured presence in any prayer corner and a meaningful gift.