Writing Icons

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brotherhrolf

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My avocation is calligraphy and illuminated manuscripts. I have yet to take an icon writing class. Before I deal with the technical aspects, I would like to know more about the spiritual aspects. I have read that iconographers spend considerable time in prayer, fasting, and contemplation before setting brush to paint. Is anyone aware of any resources regarding the spirituality of such an endeavor?
 
A lot of this varies from ikonographer to ikonographer. Some of the professional ikonographers that I know work with their spiritual fathers while working on the line drawing. Once this is complete, they use the various Gospel accounts ( if it is a Gospel scene) as spiritual reading.

Some use various prayers, the Jesus Prayer is one, while they are painting the ikon. Several ikonographers that I know paint in the petitions of the person the ikon is for or the petition of family and friends; i.e. health concerns, etc.

Many of the ikonographers I know have their workshops filled with reference materials, ikons, incense, candles, lampadas and music of various kinds.

Fasting is another issue althogether. One I know fasts regularly.

Another that I know, perhaps one of the best I’ve ever seen, doesn’t fast at all. He has just finished a life-size Communion of the Disciples on the back wall of his Church, just underneath a 12-foot Virgin of the Sign. AWESOME does not do it justice.

BTW, most of the ikonographers I know, professionals and non-professionals, Russian, Greek, Ukrainian as well as American, use the term “painting” and not “writing”. Using “writing” seems to something started in this country by people intent on translating things word for word from other languages.

Hope this helps…
 
BTW, most of the ikonographers I know, professionals and non-professionals, Russian, Greek, Ukrainian as well as American, use the term “painting” and not “writing”.

The Greek word “grafeo” (whence “iconography”) can mean both “to write” and “to paint.”
 
Hello brother!

Here’s an article printed in America magazine about a Jesuit iconographer. I’m looking for a well-written Orthodox article I found a few years ago to compare it to but have not found it yet. I’ll post it when I do.
 
Gorgeous! Simply gorgeous. I particularly liked St. Joan with St. Michael the Archangel.
 
Woodstock said:
Hello brother!

Here’s an article printed in America magazine about a Jesuit iconographer. I’m looking for a well-written Orthodox article I found a few years ago to compare it to but have not found it yet. I’ll post it when I do.
Click to expand...
Here is one of his “icons”:

http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/andre/images/aids_with_saints.jpg

The Epiphany: Wisemen Bring Gifts to the Child
St. Francis and St. Aloysius bring people with AIDS
to Our Lady of Guadalupe and El Santo Niño de Atocha
 
Please! Let’s not start this again. I am a Franco-Irish kid who grew up in the Latin church before V II. My knowledge of the East is limited. I grew up as an altar boy with this:

pbase.com/septembermorn/image/42480082

pbase.com/septembermorn/image/42480404

pbase.com/septembermorn/image/42503313

pbase.com/septembermorn/image/42503553

Dom DeWitt painted these iconographic frescoes at St. Joseph Abbey in St. Benedict, Louisiana. He also painted a large Christ Pantocrator on the dome of Sacred Heart Church in Baton Rouge as well. (Can’t find a picture of that but Our Lord’s eyes follow you).

If this is going to once again dissolve into let’s bash the Latin because he doesn’t know the proper terms, etc…I had my fill of that when Holy Trinity flooded during Katrina and I had my head handed to me on a platter because I didn’t know the proper terms.

I understand full well that the Jesuit iconographer has chosen subjects and techniques beyond the pale. I have no intentions of becoming an iconographer. The spirituality of the iconographer is what interests me as a medieval calligrapher/illuminator. It is a living tradition - our tradition is dead. I am safely Latin Rite Catholic. I am here to LEARN.
 
Unfortunately many western sacred artists who call themselves iconographers are not consistently authentic to the “hieratic” traditions of the western and eastern churches shared past. This includes many of the most well known RC’s such as Fr William McNichols. I would say the much of the western churches best sacred artists who understand the authentic iconography of the apostolic models and ephos are most often living in western europe not the USA.

In order to improve yourself into having a historically informed mystical ephos that would not seem strange to an 11th century person I recommend studying, reading and tracing over pictures in these books. They show profoundly important evidence of sacred art and “icons” in the western Church of the past which fit in harmoniously with the eastern churches sacred art of today.

The Pictorial Arts of the West, 800-1200 by C.R. Dodwell

books.google.com/books?id=xzZjo3YSLbwC&pg=PA7&dq=Art+West+800-1200&sig=25lyAwMxn81_6QaxRKezFm8IL6A#PPA8,M1

(a masterpiece which should be owned by all western sacred artists)

Ars Sacra 800-1200 By Peter Lasko

Spain; Romanesque Paintings by Walter W. S. Cook

Early Christian and Byzantine Art
By John Beckwith, Richard Krautheimer

Early Medieval Art 300-1150, Sources and Documents by Caecilia Davis-Weyer (this one has no pictures that I know of)

There is much more out there…look around in some university or community college libaries in their art history and architecture sections
 
Thank you Chris! And thank you for the book recommendations…particularly The Pictorial Arts of the West - that one I don’t have in my library - I just ordered it from Amazon.👍
 
For an introduction to the more technical aspects, I found Peter Pearson’s A Brush With God, very good. Short and sweet too.😃
 
brotherhrolf said:
pbase.com/septembermorn/image/42503553

Dom DeWitt painted these iconographic frescoes at St. Joseph Abbey in St. Benedict, Louisiana. He also painted a large Christ Pantocrator on the dome of Sacred Heart Church in Baton Rouge as well. (Can’t find a picture of that but Our Lord’s eyes follow you).
Click to expand...
I like the last one. It isn’t every day you see a painting with someone smoking a cigar in church. That tickled me.
 
The scene is the Last Judgment and it was explained to us that he represents corrupt Louisiana politicians. I really wish someone had posted all of Dom DeWitt’s frescoes - his Last Supper in the abbey refectory is awesome.

Stratiotes - thanks for backing up Chris’ recommendation. I will order it on next month’s Amazon budget. 😃
 
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

I would recommend the following books for anyone who is serious about icons.

Theology of the Icon, Leonid Ouspensky, two volume set.
These two books are invaluable in learning about the history and theology of the icon.

The Icon, Egon Sendler.
Father Sendler is an Icon Writer. His books contain a short history of icons and a much larger section on the writing of icons.

After reading these books a person will have a good understanding of why icons are referred to as windows to Heaven and Scripture in Color.

Father Deacon Paul
 
Thank you Father! That is exactly what I am looking for. I can’t help but believe that the Latin calligraphers/illuminators did not incorporate a similar spirituality in preparation of their manuscripts. One only need peruse the Book of Kells …

Windows to Heaven, indeed. I am very much alone as a calligrapher/illuminator in the Latin tradition. I am self taught but I have been at this for over 30 years. I have provided my parish with manuscripts for our 200th annivesary - even unto presentation to the Holy Father. But when I read about the deep spirituality of the icon writers…my soul wonders…It was not an abstract process for me… but I recognize all too well that my Eastern brethren have an entire spirituality which should apply to what I am doing. I set quill, ink, and paint to paper for the greater glory of Our Lord. Our tradition is lost. I want to know how to pray and put my spirit into the work for the greater glory of Our Lord.
 
Chris, Pictorial Arts came in from Amazon yesterday and is glorious. It more than fills in the gaps in my library. Thanks again for the suggestion.
 
That’s good news. Vol. I is on my list for Amazon next month.
 
A man who has enough foolishness to defect from benedictine monastery to the reformed anglican heterodox heresy can hardly have have the ability to pass on a sacred art tradition “not made by human hands”

I strongly recommend avoiding Peter Pearson. The only people I know of that he teaches have been more superficial western catholics and protestants with very little knowledge, study or exposure to art history or any other cultural history, especially church history. Though a few of them have do start classes of their own (one teaches at a local catholic high school) and expose the sacred art to other westerners they are still missing something authentic which holds them back from every having anything on the walls of an Eastern Church.
From my own experience when i talked to Peter Pearson he showed no interest in reviving or promoting the iconography of the western church and its own particular idiosyncratic culture but rather saw it as a poorly conceived mostly barbarian corruption better off forgetting ever existed.

If one is not careful with Peter Pearsons influence soon enough they’ll be painting this in anglican churches as they dance along with Mr Pearsons brethren into cacodoxy.

closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/2006/06/episcopalians-on-whacky-tobacky-again.html

episcopalchurch.org/episcopal_artists_17638_ENG_HTM.htm
 
Chris_McAvoy said:
A man who has enough foolishness to defect from benedictine monastery to the reformed anglican heterodox heresy can hardly have have the ability to pass on a sacred art tradition “not made by human hands”

I strongly recommend avoiding Peter Pearson. The only people I know of that he teaches have been more superficial western catholics and protestants with very little knowledge, study or exposure to art history or any other cultural history, especially church history. Though a few of them have do start classes of their own (one teaches at a local catholic high school) and expose the sacred art to other westerners they are still missing something authentic which holds them back from every having anything on the walls of an Eastern Church.
From my own experience when i talked to Peter Pearson he showed no interest in reviving or promoting the iconography of the western church and its own particular idiosyncratic culture but rather saw it as a poorly conceived mostly barbarian corruption better off forgetting ever existed.

If one is not careful with Peter Pearsons influence soon enough they’ll be painting this in anglican churches as they dance along with Mr Pearsons brethren into cacodoxy.

closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/2006/06/episcopalians-on-whacky-tobacky-again.html

episcopalchurch.org/episcopal_artists_17638_ENG_HTM.htm
Click to expand...
then you better get in touch with Metropolitan Herman, leader of the Orthodox Church in America, Metropolitan Theodosius, retired leader of the Orthodox Church in America and Patriarch Bartholemew of Constantinople all of whom have commissioned works from Mr. Pearson:p

They obviously don’t have a problem with Mr. Pearson’s work:thumbsup:

what’s yours???:confused:
 
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