Byzantine Archives – Page 5 of 9 – Orthodox Arts Journal

A New Icon Composition: Christ and the Rich Young Ruler

By Katherine Sanders | October 9, 2015 |

This spring, I received an email from an American client which left me both intrigued and slightly anxious. Would I like to paint a new icon depicting Christ’s interaction with the Rich Young Ruler described in each of the Synoptic Gospels? Yes, of course! Most icons are commissioned, discussed and then go onto my waiting…

Lighting in Orthodox Churches: Liturgical Principles and Practical Ideas

By Aidan Hart | August 27, 2015 |

What are we aiming to achieve when we choose lighting for an Orthodox church? We need a certain amount of light to see, but lighting also creates an ambience, helps to create an inner state. So what ambience are we seeking to create in our churches? These and other questions face parishes and monasteries when…

Modernity and Tradition in the Religious Art of Spyros Papaloukas

By Markos Kampanis | August 10, 2015 |

Spyros Papaloukas (1892-1957) was a major Greek painter of the first half of the twentieth century. Almost a legend for some, he was an innovator of Greek landscape painting. Although not mainly a church iconographer, he holds a very particular position alongside Photis Kontoglou in contemporary liturgical arts. He was born in 1892, started…

The Question of Polychrome – Part 2: Painting a Byzantine Analogion

By Andrew Gould | July 6, 2015 |

This is post 2 of 2 in the series “The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving” Andrew Gould looks at the role polychromy has played in historical liturgical arts and how it can be adapted to contemporary designs. The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving – Part 1 The Question of Polychrome – Part 2:…

The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving – Part 1

By Andrew Gould | June 29, 2015 |

This is post 1 of 2 in the series “The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving” Andrew Gould looks at the role polychromy has played in historical liturgical arts and how it can be adapted to contemporary designs. The Question of Polychrome for Liturgical Woodcarving – Part 1 The Question of Polychrome – Part 2:…

Introducing BART: Byzantine Arts Today

By Jonathan Pageau | April 23, 2015

Last year I wrote a few articles on a new initiative in Canada called BYZANTIUM: Ottawa International Byzantine Arts Symposium an initiative under the direction of Lesia Maruschak. One of the highlights of Byzantium was the opening exhibition featuring the icons of George Kordis, several Romanian iconographers and two Canadian artists: myself and Maruschak. BYZANTIUM’s highlight…

The Archbishop Dmitri Memorial Chapel – An Interview with Iconographer Vladimir Grygorenko

By Andrew Gould | April 16, 2015 |

The Archbishop Dmitri Memorial Chapel is an ongoing project at St. Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas, Texas. It is especially interesting as it is a chapel designed to honor the earthly remains of the locally venerated archbishop. We are pleased to offer this interview with master iconographer Vladimir Grygorenko, who designed and painted the chapel. A.…

The Printmaking Tradition on Mount Athos

By Markos Kampanis | March 9, 2015

Editor’s note: We would like to introduce our new contributor, Markos Kampanis. Markos is a prominent artist and iconographer in Greece. He has a particular expertise in Athonite murals and prints and will be sharing his knowledge in a series of articles. Artistic tradition on Mt Athos is usually associated with painted icons and murals.…

A Cloisonné Enamel Reliquary Icon of Saint Vincent of Zaragoza

By Dr Christabel Helena Anderson | March 3, 2015 |

Editor’s note: This article continues Aidan Hart’s recent article about a reliquary for Saint Vincent of Zaragoza and details Christabel Anderson’s process for making the cloisonnée icon. This article contains a background to the history and technique of cloisonné enamel and a description of the processes used in making the cloisonné enamel icon plaque of Saint Vincent…

An Interview with Iconographer Federico José Xamist

By Andrew Gould | February 17, 2015 |

Federico José Xamist is a remarkably talented young iconographer of whom we have recently become aware. His work exemplifies icon painting as a fresh and living tradition. We offer the following interview to introduce this exciting artist to our readers: Gould: Federico, you grew up in Chile. How did you come to live in Greece? J. Xamist: When I…