Orthodox Arts Journal

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Orthodox Arts Journal — Articles and news for the promotion of traditional Orthodox Christian liturgical arts

— Articles and news for the promotion of traditional Orthodox Christian liturgical arts —

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The Living Icon

By Anton Daineko on August 28, 2019
The Living Icon

Editor’s Note: This essay was originally written in Russian by master iconographer Anton Daineko of Minsk, Belarus. It beautifully explores the paradox of creativity within iconography from the very personal perspective of a lifelong practitioner. Anton and Ekaterina Daineko regularly teach icon-painting workshops in the USA, which are highly recommended. They have upcoming workshops in […]

Posted in Iconography, Theory | Tagged Byzantine, contemporary, Daineko, fresco, iconography, modern, Orthodox, russian, Theory August 28, 2019

‘The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting’: A Chinese painting manual offers inspiration to iconographers

By Aidan Hart on July 2, 2019
‘The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting’: A Chinese painting manual offers inspiration to iconographers

Truth is truth wherever it is found. In fact, it is all the more delicious when found in unexpected places. I was at the opening of an exhibition of The St John’s Bible, for which I had been one of the illuminators, and fell into conversation with one of the professors at Minnesota University. We […]

Posted in Iconography, Theory | Tagged Chinese painting, detail, dexterity, discipline, freedom, icon painting, methods, practice, technique, Tradition July 1, 2019

Understanding the Icons of Holy Week

By Jonathan Pageau on April 18, 2019
Understanding the Icons of Holy Week

During Holy Week, the Orthodox faithful will see several icons in the center of the church being commemorated. Although we are used to interpret icons as stand alone objects, I have found that it is sometimes best to see the language of icons as an inter-connected web of elements which speak to each other across different icons types. 

Posted in Theory | Tagged crucifixion, holy week, iconography, Icons, Jonathan Pageau, Pascha, Symbolism April 19, 2019

Brilliant Darkness: On St. Dionysios the Areopagite’s Blue Halo

By Fr. Silouan Justiniano on April 13, 2019
Brilliant Darkness: On St. Dionysios the Areopagite's Blue Halo

  …Timothy, my friend, my advice to you as you look for a sight of the mysterious things, is to leave behind you everything perceived and understood, everything perceptible and understandable, all that is not and all that is, and, with your understanding laid aside, to strive upward as much as you can towards union […]

Posted in Iconography, Theory | Tagged areopagite, Byzantine, dionysios, Icon, iconography, pseudo-dionysios, silouan justiniano, Symbolism, uncreated light April 15, 2019

The Nature of Divine Beauty

By Aidan Hart on March 13, 2019
The Nature of Divine Beauty

A Tough Love Many are drawn to the beauty of icons. But clearly this beauty is of a different order than, say, that of a Greek statue, or of a Renaissance painting. Icons are liturgical objects, created for prayer, a means of communion with the Lord. So what are some of the characteristics of divine […]

Posted in Theory | Tagged Aidan Hart, art, Beauty, divine beauty, iconography, Orthodox, Theory March 13, 2019

An Iconographer, a Contemporary Artist and a Movie Director Walk into a Bar

By Jonathan Pageau on March 4, 2019
An Iconographer, a Contemporary Artist and a Movie Director Walk into a Bar

Last September, I was invited by Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto to speak on a public panel as a prelude to the annual massive art event called Nuit Blanche. Wycliffe college is a somewhat conservative Anglican school, and on this panel were three artists who identify as Christian and who were asked to […]

Posted in Iconography, Theory | Tagged contemporary art, gloria kim, iconography, Jonathan Pageau, panel discussion, phil irish March 13, 2019

Seeking Perfection in the World of Art: The Artistic Path of Father Sophrony

By Christabel Helena Anderson on January 3, 2019
Seeking Perfection in the World of Art: The Artistic Path of Father Sophrony

Editorial note: Due to its little-known subject matter and the book’s current limited availability in some regions, the following is a summary, rather than a standard review, of Seeking Perfection in the World of Art: The Artistic Path of Father Sophrony1 – Sister Gabriela’s monograph on the artistic journey and iconographic legacy of Elder Sophrony. […]

Posted in Iconography, Reviews, Theory | Tagged book review, Elder Sophrony, England, English Iconography, essex, Fr. Sophrony, iconography, monastery, pencil drawings, St. Silouan, Tolleshunt Knights May 5, 2020

The Nativity Icon as an Image of Reality

By Jonathan Pageau on December 3, 2018
The Nativity Icon as an Image of Reality

The Nativity icon, like most festal icons, does not merely depict an event that happened two thousand years ago, but rather by its form and the hierarchy of its elements, shows us the inner workings of how the Divine Logos is Him by whom all things were made. The icon also shows us how His […]

Posted in Theory | Tagged iconography, iconology, Jonathan Pageau, nativity, the symbolic world, Video December 4, 2018

The Icon of The Last Judgement

By Jonathan Pageau on September 24, 2018
The Icon of The Last Judgement

The icon of the Last Judgement is one of the most complex Christian images.  As depicting the final things, it is a synthesis of the cosmic mystery. As an image of judgement, it is also the place where everything is resolved by Christ.  From the very first moments in my burgeoning interest in iconology, I […]

Posted in Theory | Tagged Icon, iconography, iconology, Jonathan Pageau, last judgement, Symbolism September 26, 2018

Sacred Art in Secular Terms

By Jonathan Pageau on March 1, 2018
Sacred Art in Secular Terms

Last year I was invited to speak at the Northwest Catholic Family Education Conference.  The event was going to be quite open to the public and was dealing with the notion of Truth, the truth seen in different walks of life.  I was asked to speak about the truth in art and discuss my own […]

Posted in Theory | Tagged art, contemporary art, iconography, Jonathan Pageau, modern art, secularism March 5, 2018
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The Journal covers visual arts, music,
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