Hand painted Orthodox icon on wood, "The Crucifixion", miniature, 7x10cm

This hand-painted Orthodox miniature icon represents The Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, one of the cornerstones of our Christian faith.

Original artwork by Ana Drăgan (DAM), painted on wood, in egg tempera colours.

The Cross is the altar of sacrifice upon which the sin of humanity is consumed. Only through the Savior’s death on the Cross were we delivered from the bondage of sin. The Cross is an instrument of suffering, yet also a step toward the Resurrection; a cause of stumbling and at the same time a weapon against the powers of darkness; a means of separating the sheep from the goats, yet also of gathering and sanctifying all.

Even the position of Christ’s Cross on Golgotha reveals this truth. The Lord is crucified between two thieves, one of whom repents and enters the company of the righteous. Thus, the Cross becomes a line of separation between the saved and the lost. Behind it stand the executioners of Jesus, and at its foot the Mother of God and the holy women.

The same power of the Cross is always at work: it distinguishes and divides, yet it also unites and restores.