www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology The Rules of Iconography

Friends and Family in Christ,

What are the rules of iconography? My wife is an artist but has never worked with icons. Is there a set of "10 Commandments" for this genre?

Thanks,
Robert

Dear Robert,

I believe St Vladimir's Seminary Press publishes the iconographer's rule-book.

You might wish to get in touch with Andrew Rubis who was trained there (he uses all sorts of theological mind-twisters that are a dead give-away ) or Anastasios the Seminarian who is still there (he is starting with the mind-twisters).

Alex

Dear Alex,

It wasn't clear from your post. Is it my mind that's twisted from all of that study or is it yours that's twisted from trying to understand it?

Dear Robert,

Regarding icons, there are rules, but they have nothing to do with art. I'm not implying that your wife would not someday "write" icons, but that the antecedent regime is one of prayer, fasting, and inner peace under the direction of an accomplished master. The first thing that the master would investigate is how one lives.

In Christ.

Dear Andrew,

You clearly see that I was being deliberately unclear . . .

A little of both, actually . . .

But you're O.K., Big Guy!

Alex

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!
GLORY TO HIM FOREVER!

The second thing the Master would tell her is to forget EVERYTHING she learned in art class.

Writing an ikon and art class have NOTHING in common.

Here is my teacher's website: www.nb.net/~pearson/index.htm [nb.net]

My teacher specializes in workshops for begining ikon-writers. If you wife is interested, she can take one of Peter's workshop/retreats and find out is she is to take this path.

From there, there are a number of ikon-writers that she can study with.

Hope this helps....

mark

Dear Mark,

Just as long as you're not giving him the brush off . . .

Alex

CHRIST IS BAPTIZED!

Hi Alex!

My ikon teacher calls his retreats a "BRUSH WITH GOD", kinda catchy huh....

I just finished an ikon of OUR LADY OF THE SIGN. I'll send you some jpgs of it this week.

Blessings!

mark

me too please Mark

Thank you for your responses.

Alex, while St. Vlad's Press usually has the answer to my questions, that answer rarely costs less than $20: so if you or the others have any online reading links, that would be great!

Andrew's remarks focusing on the spiritual life of the writer got me thinking...the first time I visited an Orthodox church, the cantor saw/heard me singing and immediately motioned for me to come join the choir during the liturgy. Of course at that point, no investigation was made regarding my spiritual fitness to do so.

Are aspiring iconographers treated with more scrutiny than those whose worship takes other forms of expression? Don't they develop their skills along with their spiritual life, as do people in other vocations?

Dear Robert,

The fact that you knew the service and were singing it was a good enough sign of your "spiritual fitness." I think that writing icons requires a different, if not higher, type of spiritual fitness.

One can sing, as I also do, and still have no insight into depicting or describing the transfigured life. But writing an icon requires at least some.

Worship (the singing in this example) is a pursuit of the intimacy with God that may lead us to this insight. And some are blessed with this insight and some must live in hope of a blessing of that insight. However, the latter person need not despair because His grace is always sufficient.

With love in Christ.

Dear Robert,
You can have your wife take a look at Iconofile Site [iconofile.com]

It's a very informative iconography site.

Loretta

Dear Robert,

Apart from the technical rules of iconography, the spiritual/worship side is crucial.

Icon painters have formal offices of blessing of their brushes, paints etc.

They attend the Divine Liturgy and the Office as well as go to Holy Communion.

This has to do with the view that what the icon painter is writing is not only about religious truths, but something of the Spirit that is in himself as His Temple.

That is why the works of iconographers are the greatest judge of their sanctity and lead to their canonization of saints after their repose.

St Andrew Rubleev was so canonized and ALL of his icons have been formally declared "miraculous" by the Orthodox Church - something no other icon-writer may boast.

But they are too humble to boast anyway . . .

Alex

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!
GLORY TO HIM FOREVER!

Hi Robert!

Professional ikonographers and a good many who write ikons as a prayer tool also have Spiritual Fathers. These Spiritual Fathers are consulted from the beginning stages of the ikon.

Ikonographers also follow the "rules" of ikonography. There are "rule books" that tell what each ikon is to contain. THE IKONOGRAPHER IS NOT SUPPOSED TO STRAY FROM THE RULES!!

Most professional ikonographers in North America use acryllics rather than egg tempra. Valentin Strelstov, a Russian Master ikonographer is from Toronto, Canada and uses only acryllics. He has done many Ukrainian Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches in Canada. He is also writing the ikons for St.George the Martyr Byzantine Catholic church in Aliquippa, PA which is the parish of this Forum's Fr. Elias. Valentin's webpage is: www.ikonograph.com [ikonograph.com]

I know that the members of my ikonographer's guild start each ikon writing session with prayer and we always play some form of Liturgal chant.

My teacher has taught me to pray the Jesus Prayer as I write an ikon. I also pray many of friends and family and their intentions into my ikon. I often check the prayer section of this forum and "write" these requests into my ikons as well.

I hope this helps....

mark