Western-style Icons

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Matariel

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Hey, does anyone know where I can get Western-style icons? I’ve seen some in the past, even in Orthodox churches. Don’t get me wrong, the flattened Eastern-style icons are a wonderful and venerable tradition, but are less appealing to my Western tastes.

Anyone know where I can find them?
 
What do you mean by Western style icons?

Do you mean in the style of early Gothic religious art, like this:
warriorsofhistory.com/research/Byzantine/mosaics/Ravenna%20Mosaics%20from%20San%20Vitale,%20Sant%20Apollinare%20Nuovo,%20Sant%20Apollinare%20in%20Classe,%20Battistero%20Neoniano,%20Battistero%20Ariani/Christ.jpg
conservation.catholic.org/hildegard-von-bingen-2.jpg

Or are you thinking of Eastern style icons of Western saints, like:
bridgebuilding.com/images/mi398x.jpg

Or are you thinking more of religious paintings from the Renaissance and subsequent periods, like this:
champagnat.org/images/mundomarymaria/imaculada/images/El%20Greco-1_jpg.jpg

The latter aren’t really icons.

I don’t think there ever really was a tradition of icons in the Byzantine sense in the Western church, even though in the early days church art in Roman churches looked a lot like the church art in early Greek churches. Not really sure what you’re looking for.
 
Matariel said:
Hey, does anyone know where I can get Western-style icons? I’ve seen some in the past, even in Orthodox churches. Don’t get me wrong, the flattened Eastern-style icons are a wonderful and venerable tradition, but are less appealing to my Western tastes.

Anyone know where I can find them?
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You know only the icon in the center and the one to the right of it I would consider “an icon”, the rest would be refered to as a “paintings”. (Icons are suppose to be more symbolic and idealistic then realistic)

I think I’ve seen them sold by some Catholic merchants and bookstores.

If you don’t mind buying from heretics, “Monastery Icons” is probably the best known vendor of a western style icons.

monasteryicons.com/
 
DL82 said:
What do you mean by Western style icons?
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The easiest characteristic of a western icon is that it is more realistic and less cartoony in its depiction. In many times the use of color is simplified.

i.e.- The use of proportionality, realistic depiction of muscle tone and posture, photorealism
 
Addai said:
The easiest characteristic of a western icon is that it is more realistic and less cartoony in its depiction.
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Please explain what you mean by “cartoony”?:confused:

As an ikon painter, I’d be interested in knowing how an ikon can be a cartoon…:confused:
 
Patchunky said:
Please explain what you mean by “cartoony”?:confused:

As an ikon painter, I’d be interested in knowing how an ikon can be a cartoon…:confused:
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Well there is a depiction that is stylized. A friend once called our Coptic neo-iconography as being “Anime Iconography”

theotokos.org/CopticIcons/MiraclesIcons/index.htm

At first I was taken back. But then the next time I looked at Coptic icons I could see what he was talking about. You had these big almond eyes with perfect round heads etc.

Cartoony probably not the best word. But its the only one I can think of that describes that this is not an attempt at realistic depiction. And I would have to say cartoony does really fit some of the early icons. Like the early Syrian ones I’ve seen, some Ethiopian ones. Even some modern Coptic ones like the Soldiers at the Christ Cross and tomb. The “inverse perspective” of some iconography really can make things look very odd sometimes.
 
So, I guess this is a cartoon then and not a master piece that’s over 300 years old…

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Patchunky said:
So, I guess this is a cartoon then and not a master piece that’s over 300 years old…
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I’d say “Masterpiece” is quite a stretch.

Poorly executed art doesn’t mean it can’t be used to teach the faith, tho’.
 
Aramis said:
I’d say “Masterpiece” is quite a stretch.

Poorly executed art doesn’t mean it can’t be used to teach the faith, tho’.
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Oh, it’s a Master Piece all right. It comes from the very 1st Christian Nation and they have been painting in this style for almost 2 millenium… it’s from the Kingdom of Ethiopia…

I guess it would be considered “poorly executed” when compaired to an El Greco but I’d rather have it than a thousand Van Gough’s or PIccasso’s…👍
 
😃

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Magnificent! I collect Coptic icons and would love to have this one. I rather imagine it’s out of my price range, however, and I doubt the owner would wish to part with it! 😃
 
**
I’ll go out on a limb and speculate that the one icon most readily identified as “Western style” would be the San Damiano Cross:**

Yet even this one shows definite Byzantine influence.
 
bpbasilphx said:
**
I’ll go out on a limb and speculate that the one icon most readily identified as “Western style” would be the San Damiano Cross:**

Yet even this one shows definite Byzantine influence.
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I was thinking more like this…

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This is what I mean by Western-style Icons:

religiousmall.com/Catholic%20and%20Classics.html

I believe they are the perfect wedding of East and West, and I really, really love this style-- I even think that the Church in the West should spread and foster this kind of religious art in all churches. 👍

My humble opinion.

Alternately, the modern Ethiopian and Coptic icons I like too, even though they are exact opposite in realism.
 
bpbasilphx said:
**
I’ll go out on a limb and speculate that the one icon most readily identified as “Western style” would be the San Damiano Cross:**

Yet even this one shows definite Byzantine influence.
Click to expand...
The two most readily known icons in the Western Church are the San Damiano Crucifix and Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
 
DL82 said:
What do you mean by Western style icons?

Do you mean in the style of early Gothic religious art, like this:
warriorsofhistory.com/research/Byzantine/mosaics/Ravenna%20Mosaics%20from%20San%20Vitale,%20Sant%20Apollinare%20Nuovo,%20Sant%20Apollinare%20in%20Classe,%20Battistero%20Neoniano,%20Battistero%20Ariani/Christ.jpg
conservation.catholic.org/hildegard-von-bingen-2.jpg
Click to expand...
I’d be more interested in this style (is it just me or is this similar to Syriac/Coptic iconography?).

I have for a while tried to get information on the “lost art” of Western iconography. It seems it was mostly in the form of mosaics, such as this mosaic of the Nativity in Santa Maria in Trastevere (Rome):

The Birth of Jesus, Pietro Cavallini (1291)

but there are some (many?) that are on wood or canvas type media - such as (hey! it’s Advent!!!):


Nativity Panel, Giotto di Bondone (14th c. – fresco series in the Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua)

http://media.metmuseum.org/mgen/met...8897168405&level=1&x=0&y=0&backcolor=0x000000
The Adoration of the Shepherds, Bartolo di Fredi (14th c.)
 
Did anyone see the Western-style icons in the link I posted? :confused:

Everyone’s ignoring it…
 
You posted: “Anyone know where I can find them?”

Why not order from the link you provided. You can order things from them…
 
Patchunky said:
You posted: “Anyone know where I can find them?”

Why not order from the link you provided. You can order things from them…
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I found that after I posted. I want people’s opinions on them, their style, and how they look.

And also, I would love to order from there, but I really wanted a saint that they don’t have in Western-style iconography.

Although St. Charalampos (sic?) looks really cool, trampling on top a devil. He was martyred when he was 103 years old!
 
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