Icon of the saints Athanassios and Anthony
This portable wooden icon with relief bias-cut frame represents the saints Athanassios of Alexandria and Anthony of Beroia. The two saints are painted against a gold background on a plaster preparation. They are depicted frontally: Athanasios, on the left, in bishop's garments holds a book with ornate covers and blesses with his right hand ; Anthony, on the right, wears the monastic tunic and hood, and opens his hands in front of his chest in a gesture of prayer. The figures are solidly built, their faces carved into well-distinct volumes. The garments, with their dominant cool colours, fall in dry, linear folds. Saint Athanassios is commonly depicted in contemporary Macedonian wall-painting, but representations of Saint Anthony of Beroia are rare.