According to the preserved historical documents of the 17th century, there were two monasteries in the settlement of Mstyora. Some researchers suggest that it was thanks to the monks that the locals began to engage in icon painting. Family-run workshops gradually appeared, where skills were passed down from generation to generation. Soon icon painting became the main occupation of the male population; several icon painters worked in one workshop at the same time.

Like in many icon painting centers, in Mstyora, icon painters were divided into “lichniki” (those who painted the face and exposed parts of the saint’s body) and “dolichniki” (those who painted all other elements, such as landscape, interiors, and garments).

By the late 19th century, a certain style of icon painting was developed in the settlement of Mstyora. The Mstyora icon can be distinguished by a colored background, which transitions from light tones to more saturated dark ones. Gold leaf is traditionally used instead of white paint to create highlights on the robes of saints.

The icon “St. Seraphim of Sarov” was made by two Mstyora icon painters: Vasily Nikolayevich Morozov (1871–1932) painted the face of the saint, and Ivan Nikolayevich Morozov (1884–1962) completed all other elements — the robes of the saint and the landscape. The artists were brothers, worked in Mstyora icon painting workshops and were members of the association “Artel of Ancient Russian Painting”.

The icon depicts Seraphim of Sarov in full-length, wearing monastic attire with a rosary in his left hand, against the background of the Diveyevo Monastery, which was patronized by the saint. Seraphim of Sarov is one of the most famous and revered Orthodox saints. Having taken vows at a young age, he observed the strictest fast, eating only bread and vegetables from his own garden. He spent his whole life in a small cell near the Saint Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery.

The icon is made in the Mstyora manner of painting, using traditional techniques. It is distinguished by a carefully designed landscape with a cloudy bluish background, a gray-blue sky without clouds, changing from one color to another, and elegant rock mounds.