Daniel Neculae: Between Panselinos and Rublev

  Daniel Neculae is a Romanian iconographer living in Luxembourg.  He has a BA in Byzantine iconography from Bucharest University.  He is going to show some of his icons in London, at the Sacred Space Gallery  from March 11 to April 04 and so it seemed like a good opportunity to feature his icons here. Upon looking…

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Can Statuary Act as Icon?

There is a long tradition of relief sculpture in the Orthodox Church’s liturgical art tradition, but very little in the way of three dimensional sculpture. Can sculpture in the round act like an icon, leading us through itself to its prototype? Although, for reasons discussed below, the Orthodox Church is unlikely to adopt sculpture in…

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The Unusual Glass-Bead Icons of Angelika Artemenko

Icon by Angelika Artemenko

I have just learned of a most unusual iconographer from Ukraine whose medium is primarily glass beads. Her name is Angelika Artemenko, 26 years old. Despite her unconventional technique, she works with great care and piety, emphasizing the blessing of her bishop in all she does. Ms. Artemenko begins by painting the hands and faces on canvas.…

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St-Peter on The Right. St-Paul on the Left.

This is post 2 of 3 in the series “The Right and Left Hand in Iconography” Jonathan Pageau examines the recurrence of left and right hand symbolism in traditional art and how they create a pattern of engagement in the world. Mercy on The Right. Rigor on The Left St-Peter on The Right. St-Paul on…

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Designing Icons (pt.6): Faces in Icons

This is post 6 of 9 in the series “Designing Icons” Aidan Hart gives us a full chapter on designing icons from his book “Techniques of Icon and Wall Painting.” Designing Icons (pt.1) Designing Icons (pt.2): Icon Prototypes Designing Icons (pt.3): New Icons Designing Icons (pt.4): Researching Festal Icons Designing Icons (pt.5): Conventions of Traditional…

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Theophany and What Sacred Art Does

You enter a silent museum.  Standing at an appropriate distance, you gaze at a piece of art set against a clinically white wall.  The art is lit as to leave no glare or shine and you as the viewer leave no shadow on it.  Enough space is allotted all around the art so to be admired without…

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The Ass and The Ox in The Nativity Icon

There is no ass or ox in the Biblical narratives of the birth of Christ.  Yet, besides the Christ Child himself, the ass and the ox are the most ancient and stable elements in the iconography of the nativity.  In fact the earliest example of a nativity known to us contains only the swaddled Christ in the manger flanked by the ox…

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TED Talk on Iconography

Lynette Hull, an American iconographer part of the Prosopon School has recently given a twenty minute presentation on Iconography which is part of a TEDx event. TED is a hip technology, education and design non-profit organization that gives conferences and organizes events. It is seen as the leading place to get a glimpse of new burgeoning…

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