The Holy Theotokos of Hagia Sophia in Old Constantinople- A Devotional Sized Icon

A Theotokos Based on a Mosaic from the Ancient Hagia Sophia Church.

 I always appreciate receiving orders for historical icons. The Korsun icon, completed last year, is here. These historical icons are a good challenge for me because they are often so well known and they need to closely resemble the older icon copy. As a bonus, each one comes with a unique history worth exploring. Hagia Website.

And, if you can locate a copy, this is an excellent historical reference:

In July, I wrote a little about gold. There I showed a photo where the gold was attached using a gold size (adhesive) that was brushed or painted onto the surface and after that, the gold leaf was adhered to the now tacky surface.

For the icon featured here, I did not complete it as a mosaic, using tiles,  but rather as a panel painting using egg tempera medium and adjustments to the image necessarily happened.  Additionally, I painted on a traditional layer of rabbit glue and clay called clay bole. After that the surface was finely sanded and burnished in preparation to receive the gold leaf by lightly moistening the dry clay bole surface.

It is Mid-October and I'm preparing to wrap this one up and ship it to the new owner. All it needs is the halo ringing (triform halo for Jesus), Greek inscriptions and the traditional red border along the exterior.