Iconography
Dome Fresco Underway in Santa Rosa, CA
It is a rare treat to see the work of Fr. Patrick Doolan in progress. A renowned iconographer trained by Leonid Ouspensky, Fr. Patrick is a master of true fresco. For a number of years, he and his assistant, Fr. Moses, have worked to fresco St. Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church in Santa Rosa, CA…
Continue reading »The Reader’s Guide to Orthodox Icons
One of the best websites/blogs devoted to iconology on the internet is a blog called The Reader’s Guide to Orthodox Icons. This blog is done anonymously and is truly a wonderful storehouse of information on icons, their typology, symbolism and spiritual significance. The tone of the blog is extremely warm and non-polemical, addressing most of the…
Continue reading »The Dog-Headed Icon of St-Christopher (pt.2): Encountering Saint-Christopher
This is post 2 of 2 in the series “The Dog Headed Icon of St-Christopher” Jonathan Pageau traces the pattern of meaning in Dog-headed representations of St-Christopher and how they relate to our experience of the world. Understanding The Dog-Headed Icon of St-Christopher The Dog-Headed Icon of St-Christopher (pt.2): Encountering Saint-Christopher In my last article…
Continue reading »Catholic Liturgical Furnishings From Ouspensky Disciple
Leonid Ouspensky, from his apartment/studio in Paris taught many young artists and created some of the finest iconography and iconographers of the 20th century. Recently, one of his pupils, Joris (George) Van Ael, came to my attention. Van Ael’s style is strongly reminiscent of others of the Ouspensky school like Fr. Patrick Doolan and Matushka…
Continue reading »Interview With Russian Enamelist Evgeny Baranov
(A few months ago I posted some magnificent enamel icons by Russian artist Evgeny Baranov. So impressed was I at his skill that I asked him if he would accept to do an interview for us. What came out of this interview is not only his personal story as an artist, which is fascinating, but also…
Continue reading »New Doors for the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Madrid, Spain
In February of this year Aidan Hart and his team of craftsmen completed a large pair of doors for the newly completed Russian Orthodox Church of St Mary Magdalene in Madrid. The outside of the doors, facing the entrance lobby, sport sixteen hand carved panels, and the inside sixteen festal icons in gold leaf on…
Continue reading »Seat of Wisdom
A few months ago, Aidan Hart wrote a wonderful article on the possibility of statuary acting as icon. He did this in the context of having sculpted a model for a stone version of the Seat of Wisdom. Just as he was posting his article, I was also receiving a commission for a wooden carving…
Continue reading »Degraded Iconicity VI: Towards Fullness of Iconicity
This is post 6 of 6 in the series “Degraded Iconicity” Fr. Silouan Justiniano thinks through the effect of contemporary image culture and mechanical reproduction on iconography and our sense of the sacred. The Degraded Iconicity of the Icon: The Icon’s Materiality and Mechanical Reproduction Degraded Iconicity II: Uplifting Materiality and Symbol. Degraded Iconicity III:…
Continue reading »The Falling Asleep of Ksenia Pokrovsky
News that Ksenia Mikhailovna Pokrovskaya had fallen asleep in the Lord on Sunday, July 7, 2013 was a profound shock. Though she had chronic hypertension, she had not been ill. She was tired, yes, for many years, but still actively sharing her wisdom and knowledge with clarity and generosity. For both her family and friends…
Continue reading »Texan Brewery, Russian Iconographer
On a recent trip to Texas, I encountered a beer which took me by surprise, not for the fact that it was a creative blend of hefeweissen yeast and Amarillo hops (though that was delightful) but because of its name and label. The beer is called “ICON” and featured a two-tone icon of St. Arnold,…
Continue reading »