Myrrhbearers Orthodox Icon

Myrrhbearers Orthodox Icon is a hand-painted multi-figure icon of the Holy Myrrhbearers at the empty Tomb of Christ. The icon is painted on an elegant arched board, recalling the vault of a church and the entrance into the heavenly Kingdom. On the radiant gold background, the angel in white sits on the rolled-away stone and points the women toward the empty tomb with the burial cloths. Above the composition, the Risen Christ blesses His faithful disciples.

This icon preserves one of the most moving moments of the Gospel. When fear had scattered many of the male disciples, the women came to the tomb before dawn with precious myrrh, ready to offer a final act of love to the crucified Lord. Instead, they received the first proclamation of the Resurrection: Christ is not among the dead; He is risen.

Myrrhbearers Orthodox Icon – The Empty Tomb and the First Witnesses

The icon brings the viewer to the morning after the Sabbath. Mary Magdalene, Mary of Clopas, Salome, Joanna, and the other holy women came with vessels of fragrant myrrh to anoint the body of Christ. Their love did not calculate danger. They came in sorrow, but with faithfulness, courage, and reverence.

At the tomb they found the stone rolled away. The angel of the Lord, clothed in dazzling white, announced that the Crucified One had risen. The empty tomb and the folded burial cloths became the visible witness that death had been conquered. The Myrrhbearers then became messengers of the Resurrection, carrying the good news to the apostles.

For Orthodox Christians, this icon is not only a historical scene. It is an image of faithful love that remains near Christ when hope seems lost. The women came with myrrh for burial, but received the joy of Pascha. Their icon teaches courage, self-sacrifice, humility, and steadfastness in love.

Iconography and Symbolism

The multi-figure composition is full of theological meaning. Each figure and detail points to the victory of life over death.

• The angel of the Lord. The angel is shown in radiant white garments, seated on the stone that had sealed the tomb. White signifies purity, heavenly light, and the joy of the Resurrection.
• The women with vessels. The Myrrhbearers stand together with alabaster vessels of fragrant oil. Their gesture is sorrowful and reverent, yet already touched by wonder.
• The empty tomb. In the center of the icon is the open tomb with white burial cloths. The angel points to it as the sign that Christ is risen.
• The Risen Christ. Above the rocky landscape, Christ appears in glory, blessing the faithful women. His red and blue garments signify the union of divine and human natures.
• Jerusalem. The stylized city walls and towers recall the Holy City, outside which the Crucifixion and Resurrection took place.
• The arched form. The arched board directs the eye upward, from the stone and tomb toward the glory of the Resurrection.

Prayer Before the Icon of the Holy Myrrhbearers

The Holy Myrrhbearers are honored as examples of Christian womanhood: loving, faithful, courageous, humble, and self-giving. Orthodox Christians pray before this icon for family peace, reconciliation between spouses, patience in sorrow, strength in heavy responsibilities, and the ability to remain faithful to Christ in difficult circumstances.

Women who carry hard burdens may find special consolation in this image: caring for ill relatives, raising children in difficult conditions, enduring loneliness, supporting a family, or preserving faith in a home where others do not share it. The Myrrhbearers show that quiet fidelity can be greater than visible strength.

This icon is also a Paschal image. It gives hope in grief and reminds the faithful that the Resurrection of Christ changes even the place of burial into the beginning of joy.

The Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearers

The Church celebrates the Holy Myrrhbearers on the Third Sunday of Pascha. This feast is loved in Orthodox tradition as a day honoring faithful Christian women, their courage, sacrifice, love, and service to Christ.

For this reason, the icon is especially meaningful as a gift for a mother, grandmother, wife, godmother, spiritual sister, women’s monastery, parish, or church community. It is also appropriate as a Paschal gift and as a prayerful family icon.

Materials and Creation of the Icon

This icon requires careful and patient work because of its multi-figure composition, arched board, gold background, landscape, city, angel, women, empty tomb, and the Risen Christ. The base is a thick arched linden wood board strengthened with oak splines. The board is prepared with pavoloka and multiple layers of chalk gesso, polished to a smooth painting surface.

The sky, background, and halos are covered with 23K gold leaf (960 purity) on bole and polished with agate. The painting is done with mineral egg tempera, using natural pigments for the vivid garments, including blue, green, ocher, red, and purple tones.

The finished icon is treated with natural linseed oil, which deepens the mineral colors and helps protect the painted surface. Because each icon is painted by hand, the rhythm of the garments, the tone of the gold, the details of the angel, the faces of the women, and the rocky landscape may have individual nuances.

Icon Characteristics

Who This Icon Is Suitable For

This icon is a meaningful Orthodox gift for a mother, grandmother, wife, godmother, spiritual sister, or any Christian woman whose life is marked by faithful care and sacrificial love. It is especially appropriate for the Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearers, Pascha, a family celebration, or as a gift to a women’s monastery, parish, chapel, or church community.

The size 30×40 cm (11.8×15.7 in) and the arched form make the icon suitable as a visual and spiritual center of a home icon corner. Larger church and iconostasis sizes can be made by individual commission.

Free international shipping is included. Payment is made after you receive and approve the icon.

Care of the Icon

Because the icon uses smooth polished gold leaf and mineral egg tempera, it should be protected from direct sunlight, high humidity, candle smoke, and frequent touching. Dust should be removed gently with a soft dry brush, without water, alcohol, or household cleaners.

A wooden icon case with glass is recommended for long-term protection, especially for a large arched icon that may become a family or church heirloom.

Questions and Answers

Who are the Holy Myrrhbearers?

The Church especially remembers Mary Magdalene, Mary of Clopas, Salome, Joanna, Martha, Mary, and Susanna among the women who followed Christ, stood near His Passion, and came to anoint His body.

What is the myrrh they carried?

Myrrh was a precious fragrant oil used in burial rites. The women brought it to the tomb to honor the body of Christ, but instead heard the proclamation of His Resurrection.

Why is Christ shown above the mountains?

The Gospel does not describe the hidden moment of the Resurrection itself. In this icon, Christ is shown mystically above the world in glory, blessing the faithful women who came to honor Him.

What do the stepped mountains mean?

The stylized stepped rocks are a traditional feature of Byzantine and Russian icon painting. They suggest the transformed creation and the spiritual ascent toward God.

Why is the angel clothed in white?

White signifies purity, heavenly light, and the joy of the Resurrection. The angel at the tomb proclaims that Christ is not among the dead but is risen.

What do Orthodox Christians pray for before this icon?

They pray for family peace, Christian courage, patience in sorrow, strength for women who carry heavy responsibilities, and faithfulness to Christ in difficult circumstances.

Why is this icon considered meaningful for Orthodox women?

The Myrrhbearers are honored as examples of love, courage, fidelity, and self-sacrifice. Their feast is often loved as an Orthodox celebration of faithful Christian women.

Why does the icon have an arched shape?

The arched shape recalls church architecture and directs the eye upward, from the empty tomb and stone toward the heavenly glory of the Risen Christ.

Will the gold darken over time?

23K gold leaf (960 purity) does not oxidize like imitation gold. With careful care, its shine can remain beautiful for generations.

How should this hand-painted icon be cared for?

Protect the icon from humidity, direct sunlight, heat, candle smoke, and rubbing. Dust should be removed gently with a soft dry brush, and an icon case with glass is recommended.