Orthodox Iconography

[MAJOR METAL]

Do any other TBers have an appreciation of Orthodox Iconography ? I would have to say that Iconography of the Eastern Churches is one of my most favorite art forms. I would really like to take classes on how to paint in this form but I don't think I have the capacity to do the initial sketch.

[Bett]

One of my aunts took up the hobby of painting Orthodox icons. She's gone to classes for it and has made some very nice ones in the past few years. They have a lot of fine details in them so they take a while to paint, but the finished pieces are very beautiful and worth all the effort. Other than that I haven't had much to do with them. My mother collects Russian Orthodox icons, but only the antique brass ones.

[hrodbert696]

I think there's something great about them too - very clean and elegant. There's also something breathtaking about walking into an Orthodox church and finding yourself surrounded by these armies of saints an angels glowing in gold. As I understand it, the process of making an authentic icon isn't just the art, but the spirituality -- there's a lot of prayer and meditation and blessing of the materials involved. Otherwise it's just a picture in the style of an icon.

[Shakin-Slim]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Mmip4OxNWY...coltrane+2.jpg
My favourite

[Relic]

Yes, we have some examples that I picked up in Eastern Europe years ago. Great stuff, I love it.
I had given one to my mom that was framed and partially covered in silver - so that the silver itself made up part of the 'portrait", and where there were openings, you could see the iconic painting showing through.. hard to explain but it's really nice.

shakin-slim - THAT's awesome!

[geeza]

I'm on my way out the door, but I'll post when I get home.
Teaser - My dad's a Russian Orthodox priest.

[MAJOR METAL]

Awesomeness archangel michael icon - Google Search

[The Lurker]

Museum of Russian Icons Try this site.

[MAJOR METAL]

Icons make for great tattoos !

[Fassa Albrecht]

I'm interested in icons, as I find myself as a Christian aligning most to the Orthodox Church.

I personally like the Theotokos (pictures of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus) icons and the Jesus Pantokrator icon image. I got a chance to visit several monasteries in Cyprus some years back and the icons even in the smallest churches and monastic places were mind-blowingly powerful and beautiful.

[MEKer]

Great art for sure. Be interesting to have one or two from the time of Ivan the Terrible--------if you got the money that is.

[cccy]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

I'm interested in icons, as I find myself as a Christian aligning most to the Orthodox Church.

I personally like the Theotokos (pictures of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus) icons and the Jesus Pantokrator icon image. I got a chance to visit several monasteries in Cyprus some years back and the icons even in the smallest churches and monastic places were mind-blowingly powerful and beautiful.

Where exactly have you been? If you can remember
I've always admired Orthodox Iconography. It's such a delicate and special art. Where I come from, you can find some of the most outstanding specimens in the world.

There used to be far more icons all around the island but unfortunately, as half of the island is occupied many of the churches were desecrated and icons were destroyed or sold.

[VSR]

My mother is studing hagiography for many years now.What she does it looks very difficult to me.Once in a year she shows a very small part of her work in a gallery.

[The Lurker]

Originally Posted by MEKer

Great art for sure. Be interesting to have one or two from the time of Ivan the Terrible--------if you got the money that is.

Or a Rublev.... but those are practically national treasures in Russia these days...

[mrspiffy]

I certainly do, however I'm Catholic. I've found that many Catholic bookstores have a decent collection of icon reproductions around, and I've bought some over the last couple years.

My favorite is Rublev's Holy Trinity:



Ut Unum Sint!

[Fassa Albrecht]

Originally Posted by cccy

Where exactly have you been? If you can remember
I've always admired Orthodox Iconography. It's such a delicate and special art. Where I come from, you can find some of the most outstanding specimens in the world.

There used to be far more icons all around the island but unfortunately, as half of the island is occupied many of the churches were desecrated and icons were destroyed or sold.

I seem to remember spending a LOT of time in the Troodos Mountains.....urrrgghhh, twisty windy roads in the back of a Jeep. Fun.

I admire Boy George's decision to give back an icon of Jesus he'd bought and had for years, only to find it had been stolen from a church in Nicosia some 40 years previously. He didn't even want any money for its return.

[cccy]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

I seem to remember spending a LOT of time in the Troodos Mountains.....urrrgghhh, twisty windy roads in the back of a Jeep. Fun.

I admire Boy George's decision to give back an icon of Jesus he'd bought and had for years, only to find it had been stolen from a church in Nicosia some 40 years previously. He didn't even want any money for its return.

Yeah those twisty windy roads can be a real pain if you get carsick, like me

Thousands of stolen pieces are in personal collections all around the globe. Some of them are 8-9 hundred years old. I never heard about the Boy George incident before, good for him.

[BassClef 2010]

I'm a Byzantine Catholic, basically an Orthodox Christian in communion with the Pope. Part of the reason I became an Eastern Catholic was because of the Icons.. so powerful. Very beautiful.