THEOLOGY OF THE ICON

The icon is a link between the human and the divine. It provides a space for the mystical encounter between the person before it and God. It becomes a place for the appearance of Christ, the Theotokos or the Saints-provided one stands before the icon with the right disposition of heart and mind. It creates a place of prayer. An icon participates in the event it depicts and is almost a re-creation of that event existentially for the believer.
As S. Bulgakov said, “By the blessing of the icon of Christ, a mystical meeting of the faithful and Christ is made possible.” Throughout the world, many icons are for this reason regarded as “wonder working”, providing both spiritual and temporal blessings. They are venerated as instruments of miraculous intervention. They provide courage and strength in a world marked with tragedy and suffering. They provide joy since icons remind us that we are deeply loved by God.

Western spirituality teaches us to listen, and the Byzantine Fathers invite us to look.
The constancy of the Christian Faith is reflected in its art. The icon is steeped in tradition. Tradition and artistic convention govern the icon painting. We all can imagine the ancient scribe carefully copying letter by letter the ancient religious texts. In a similar way the iconographer follows that which was before him. In fact, the act of painting an icon is often referred to as “writing.” The artist’s creativity comes into play not through creating the “novel,” but in the freedom of manipulating line, color, and form for a directed purpose: the expression of the truth and vision of the Church. With these specific goals in mind the icon over the centuries took on its own particular style. The ochre skin tones, the unnatural folds of closing, the flatter spaces and odd perspective, are all examples of this. An icon itself is not so much a painting as a prayer, hence it’s majestic simplicity and peacefulness. All that is depicted in it reflects divine orderliness. An icon speaks also with its hues, which are equally as symbolic as forms. Red, white, green, brown and yellow colors were the basic hues used in icon painting, red having a symbol of life and blood, in particular the blood of Christ and Martyrs. White represented the transcendental world, green was a symbol of youthfulness and vitality, while brown (the colour of the Earth-antithesis of Heaven) was used to paint monks’ and ascetics’ vestments. Yellow, approximating gold, symbolized light and eternity. The most spiritual hue was azure, a symbol of the mystery of life frequently used in icon painting.

There could be nothing personal, nothing those reflected individual predilections of a painter in an icon, as it did not depict human thoughts or images of the Truth, but the Truth itself. The art of icon painting is bound to religious tradition, which disallows loose alterations. This preserves the pure form and protects the specific theological and religious concepts being presented through the icons. A special discipline is prescribed for icon painters in conformity to ecclesiastical requirements. The icon is a consecrated object, thus demanding the painter to pray and fast for divine inspiration.
According to such interpretation the work of icon painters ( iconographers ) had very much in common with the priest’s duties, merely the form of work differed, for a priest taught with words and an iconographer with form and colour.
Some people consider painting icons an uncreative anachronism. This could equally be said of singing plainchant or interpreting any other time-honored form of art or music. An icon is said to be a mirror of divine revelation. A painter’s interpretation of it is also a reflection of his spiritual attitude. A good craftsman may make a competent copy, but the true artist tries with reverence to capture the spirit of the icon.

In Western art forms, the artist’s creativity and expertise are of primary value. In Eastern Byzantine Iconography, the value is in essence over appearance. The vast difference between styles seems to create a sort of language barrier between them. Ultimately, each has it’s own place and purpose; truly understanding various art forms takes a certain effort. Western art has often aided in the greater appreciation of God’s creation. Eastern Iconography serves to express the glory of God Himself.

When the Son of God became Man through the Mother of God (incarnation), God was given a physical image and was then able to be portrayed in icons in human form. The images serve as an inspiration to all who view them. An icon does not show the confusion of a sinful world. Rather, it depicts the peace of the Divine world; a world governed by grace, not logic. That is why every religious painting is not necessarily an icon. Icons are very different from other more commonly seen art forms. The value of an icon, therefore, is not based on the beauty of the work, but on the spiritual beauty it portrays.

Icon painters, are generally not known to us by name. By a curious twist of fate we are familiar with the names of many masters, but do not actually know any picture they have painted, whereas in the case of a great number of the works that have survived, we know the painting, but do not know the artist and have little hope of ever finding out his name. Icon painting was an anonymous branch of art because, the painter regarded himself a tool in the hands of God rather than as a creative artist. Therefore his name was quite unimportant and not worth mentioning. He was not interested in enhancing his reputation and the whole procedure of dating or signing pictures seemed quite superfluous when viewed in that light. In more recent time, the inscription “by the hand of (the iconographer’s name)” is used, thus giving God the credit for guiding the hand by which form is given to His sacred mysteries.

To those newly interested in icons: allow the icon to speak to your heart through quiet contemplation. Icons are a doorway into closeness with God, (leading beyond itself to the Eternal Creator.) Through God’s love, icons are created to aid seekers into spiritual holiness. Iconography is not an invention of painters or artists but it is an authentic tradition of the Church. The preaching of Christianity was carried out through word and image.

How Ikons Are Created – Gilding & Varnishing

Gilding is, for me, the most difficult part of ikon painting and I approach it with great trepidation every time I do it. Gilding is completely unforgiving and difficult to correct if done wrong. The hardest thing is to create an all-over even effect.

There are a number of methods for gilding, which include painted gold, gold-leaf adhered by applied glues and water gilding on gesso. Of these The first is the easiest. Gilding is extremely hard to master and can be very frustrating – as well as expensive. There are two different kinds of real gold-leaf, which comes in packets of around 25-40 sheets. A 14 by 20 inch ikon will take one packet of gold leaf which costs around $35. One is called ‘wind-blown’, which is used in water and bole gilding; and ‘patent’ gold, which is used in gilding with size. The difference is that wind-blown gold-leaf is loosely set in its packet, so that a cat’s hair brush can easily lift it from the folder onto the surface you are gilding; while pantent gold-leaf is attached to a removable piece of thin paper which is directly (and delicately) applied to a tacky sized surface. The gold-leaf is lightly rubbed through the paper until it has completely attached and then the paper is carefully removed. I recommend experimentation using a good book, such as ‘The Art of Tempera Painting”, which you can get from Sinopia, as a guide. I use 23kt patent gold-leaf and Japan Gold Size. It adheres fast but is tricky to use. I suggest using an artificial gold paint for your first ikon, a blue background and limiting the idea to be gilded to halos. This should only be step towards learning the proper methods. Water gilding is the best, because it allows the artist to polish the surface after the application of real gold leaf, creating a mirror-like surface.

There are also artificial gold-leaf packets which are less expensive than genuine gold. They only seem to come in the wind-blown variety.

Varnishing

When the painting has been completed it should be allowed to dry out completely. I suggest a week or more. A final varnish is necessary to protect the surface of the ikon. Do not use normal painting varnish. Russian painters used a refined oil to coat their ikons. This was a bad choice, as the oil soaked up dirt and grime. This is the reason many ancient Russian ikons have been repainted many times. The best varnish is shellac, which is a natural substance made from trees. I always use a spray shellac, putting on a number of light gentle coats. Make sure the temperature where you are applying the shellac is above 65F, free of any sudden gusts of air, insects and pet or human hair. There is nothing worse than to find a fly which has mistakenly alighted on your painting embedded in the shellac. As I mentioned earlier, always use light coats and let each layer dry. Putting the shellac on in too thick layers can cause cloudiness.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images. 

How Ikons Are Created – Gilding & Varnishing

Gilding is, for me, the most difficult part of ikon painting and I approach it with great trepidation every time I do it. Gilding is completely unforgiving and difficult to correct if done wrong. The hardest thing is to create an all-over even effect.

There are a number of methods for gilding, which include painted gold, gold-leaf adhered by applied glues and water gilding on gesso. Of these The first is the easiest. Gilding is extremely hard to master and can be very frustrating – as well as expensive. There are two different kinds of real gold-leaf, which comes in packets of around 25-40 sheets. A 14 by 20 inch ikon will take one packet of gold leaf which costs around $35. One is called ‘wind-blown’, which is used in water and bole gilding; and ‘patent’ gold, which is used in gilding with size. The difference is that wind-blown gold-leaf is loosely set in its packet, so that a cat’s hair brush can easily lift it from the folder onto the surface you are gilding; while pantent gold-leaf is attached to a removable piece of thin paper which is directly (and delicately) applied to a tacky sized surface. The gold-leaf is lightly rubbed through the paper until it has completely attached and then the paper is carefully removed. I recommend experimentation using a good book, such as ‘The Art of Tempera Painting”, which you can get from Sinopia, as a guide. I use 23kt patent gold-leaf and Japan Gold Size. It adheres fast but is tricky to use. I suggest using an artificial gold paint for your first ikon, a blue background and limiting the idea to be gilded to halos. This should only be step towards learning the proper methods. Water gilding is the best, because it allows the artist to polish the surface after the application of real gold leaf, creating a mirror-like surface.

There are also artificial gold-leaf packets which are less expensive than genuine gold. They only seem to come in the wind-blown variety.

Varnishing

When the painting has been completed it should be allowed to dry out completely. I suggest a week or more. A final varnish is necessary to protect the surface of the ikon. Do not use normal painting varnish. Russian painters used a refined oil to coat their ikons. This was a bad choice, as the oil soaked up dirt and grime. This is the reason many ancient Russian ikons have been repainted many times. The best varnish is shellac, which is a natural substance made from trees. I always use a spray shellac, putting on a number of light gentle coats. Make sure the temperature where you are applying the shellac is above 65F, free of any sudden gusts of air, insects and pet or human hair. There is nothing worse than to find a fly which has mistakenly alighted on your painting embedded in the shellac. As I mentioned earlier, always use light coats and let each layer dry. Putting the shellac on in too thick layers can cause cloudiness.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images. 

How Ikons Are Created – Painting the Ikon

 

As mentioned earlier ikons are painted from dark to light. It is a painstaking technique and requires the use of fine-tipped brushes. In order to achieve the fused method of modeling, which creates seamless graduations in tones it is necessary to make many subtle lightenings of the pigment which are applied in a very fine cross-hatching effect. Another method is to blur the edges of each successive coat with pigment which has been more diluted in water.

The first example at top left shows a detail of the face of St. Catherine of Sinai. In this ikon the 14th century Byzantine artist has used a rather dark underpainting, using a dark umber color mixed with white. After painting the undertones of the face the next step is to draw the dark lines upon the face in dark umber. The first face tones the painter has laid on in the fused, method. This can be determined by the lack of noticeable lines at the transition point between the underpaint and the first light flesh tones. In the fused method one uses a combination of water-diluted color with a very soft application of the paint in the transition zone. This may be hard to understand, but I promise you will learn it as you attempt to create this smooth transition yourself. The traditional flesh tones are generally made of Yellow Ochre mixed with a small amount of red, white and umber. The following lighter layers of face tone are made simply by adding more white. Midway through the process of building up the face a small amount of flesh tone should be taken aside and mixed with a touch more red and a bit of umber. It is better to err on the side of using less, rather than more. This tone is then dilutes and used for the rosey tones of the checks and lips. Notice that the painter of St. Catherine has used a lighter tone for the cheeks and that this is under the topmost layers. Also notice that the nose has a rosey zone along it’s right edge and that the chin has one also. Looking very closely it is possible to observe that the lower part of the neck and the edge of the forehead is treated in a similar, subtle way. Strive for a fused effect with the rosey tone, showing no lines.

The final light flesh tones can be seen to have been laid on in a contour effect and the brush strokes are visible. The artist has followed the contours of the various features of the face. leaving the lines visible is a conscious effort by the artist. Finally bright highlights have been placed along the same facial contours in key places. Study these very carefully, for all ikon faces follow a similar arrangement. This tone of white is actually not very bright and be careful to use a very light tone of your flesh color here rather than plain white, which would be too garish. The eyes take special treatment. Notice that the artist had used the fused method in the eyes, and has even outlines the dark-edged iris with a barely detectable outline of light tone.

The second ikon detail at left is from a Russian painting of St. David from the 15th century. The artist has used a lighter underpaint than the painter of St. Catherine and it has a greenish tone. A lighter underpainting in facial tones against a color background makes the facial tones harmonize more effectively. Here the artists has also chosen flesh tones which are much rosier and closer to the color of the underpaint. This makes it easier to achieve the fused effect. Here the highlights are much brighter and more abstract. The lines of the drawing on the face are also more red. This ikon certainly has a more calligraphic quality.

The first example of drapery painting at left is a detail from a 14th century ikon of the Annunciation from Constantinople, now in Orhid, Macedonia. It shows the leg of the Archangel.

Here can clearly be demonstrated the ikon method of painting garments. First the artist has painted the undertone, in this case a neutral grey. Next the painter drew the outlines of the drapery and then applied some broad areas of darker shadow (overuse of overly dark shadows can make your figures seem overworked, restraint is called for). Two layers of highlights are applied. Notice here that some ‘lines’ in the drawing of the garment are created by these highlights. This is called the three tone method, since there are three tones added to the underpaint of the garment (the lines of the drawing are not considered tones). The three tone method is also used in architecture and landscape.

Sometimes alternate colors, such as green or pink on blue, are used in the lighter tones to create contrasting tones which imitate shimmering fabrics such as silk or brocade. This can be seen in the garments of the left-hand Angel in Rublev’s great ikon of the Old Testament Trinity.

Specific garment colors are assigned by tradition to specific saints and Holy figures. For example, Christ and the Virgin’s robes are always in royal shades of Imperial Purple or rich Blue. The only exception is in some ikons depicting heaven, when their robes are white. The Archangel Michael’s outer cloak is usually red or purple while Gabriel’s is blue or a greenish blue. This was helpful in the days when few people could read. Christians could recognize who they were praying to by the colors in the ikon. Ikons always carry inscriptions identifying the scene or the saint shown for the same reason – it was important to know who one was praying to.

Finally, gold is used to highlight garments as well. In the example at left from Rublev’s Christ in Glory the use of fine gold lines which have the effect of building up volume can be clearly seen. Use of gold highlights the image seem more abstract.

 Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

How Ikons Are Created – Choosing an Ikon to Paint and The Drawing

 

The best way to select the subject of your first ikon is to look though books. I suggest selecting a simple subject to begin with, perhaps a Virgin and Child. There is no problem with tracing an ikon from a photocopy for your drawing, since one of the most valued possessions of medieval ikon painters were pattern books of drawings they used over and over as they painted. These books were often passed down from generation to generation. Also, as adhering to the original ikon as closely as possible is essential tracing is an excellent way of achieving that end. I also suggest lightly coloring in the colors of various areas in advance to insure you have the right pigments at hand.

The drawing is transferred to the panel by rubbing charcoal over the back of the drawing and pressing a copy onto the surface with a dull pencil through the paper. Never draw your ikon directing on the panel using a graphite pencil. Once the charcoal image is imprinted onto the panel a sepia painting of the lines is created and the remaining charcoal gently brushed away. Some artists then scratch the outline of the figure into the gesso, as the painted lines will disappear under the layers of paint. This technique will enable the original drawing to be seen in a raking light beneath the surface of the paint, and guide the drawing of lines and contours in paint on the undercoat.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images. 

 

How Ikons Are Created – About the Egg Tempera Media

The egg tempera medium is created by draining the yolks of fresh eggs. I do it by hand, rolling the yolk in a broken half-shell while carefully pouring out the white. Once most of the white is gone I roll the intact yolk in my cupped fingers to drain off the last of the white. Then I delicately hold the yolk while I pierce the membrane with a needle or tip of a knife. Next I gently drain the contents of the yolk into a clean cup or bowl, making sure that none of the membrane gets mixed in, which is discarded. Following this, I gently mix in a small amount of water and a tiny quantity of alcohol or vinegar as a preservative.

Pigments are mixed, usually the night before, in small bottles. I use baby food jars. Some choose to wet their dry pigments on china or glass, using a palate knife, however I have always mixed them in the bottle. Some dry pigments do not wet easily and the use of a few drops of a wetting agent, like Ox Gall is always a good idea. Ox Gall is inexpensive and can be ordered from Sinopia. Next I take a certain quantity of wetted pigment and mix it with a quantity of the egg mixture, either in another baby food jar or on an old china plate. It is important to get the mixture right, and this can vary. One has to watch for a velvety-matte effect as the paint dries, to little medium will leave a dry bleached out surface, while too much will make for an oily and pasty surface. Recognizing the right mixture is something that can only be learned by experimentation and observation.

Wetted pigments in sealed jars can be stored for a few days, perhaps as long as a week. I find that mixed pigments are useless if not used within 4 -12 hours.

Normally, differently colored pigments are not mixed together as much as in modern painting, but are used straight out of the bottle. This is not always possible, for example the underpainting of flesh tones is a mixture of various earth tones. The Imperial purple of the Virgin’s robes is a mixture of Hematite and Cinnabar. There is not hard and fast rule about mixing colors, it’s simply a situation of trial and error. In some cases the minerals used can react to each other in unexpected ways.

 Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

How Ikons Are Created – Pigments and Brushes

 

You selection of pigments and brushes are very important. Brushes must be soft and generally round. You will need a number of fine detail brushes. Watch for the points of your brushes when you buy them. Cheap, poorly made brushes can come apart while you are painting and spoil your work. Sable is best, but some synthetic brushes will work okay for the budget-minded.

Traditional ikons are painted in egg tempera, and in very early-times were also painted in wax colors manipulated with heated rods and spatulas. Acrylic and oils paints are not traditional media for ikon painting, but there is no hard fast rule against these mediums. It is impossible to achieve the effect of egg tempera in other medium. The use of acrylic paints for ikons is fairly wide spread because it is an easier technique and supplies are easier to obtain. New students of ikon painting should move directly to original methods and avoid the interim step of painting in acrylics on canvas which can teach bad habits. This is not to say that acrylic painted ikons aren’t spiritual. All ikons are simply nothing but painted boards and have no intrinsic spiritual value in their materials.

Two companies in Britain, Rowney and Windsor-Newton, carry egg tempera paints premade in tubes, but these are not true egg tempera paints, as they include oils in their composition and are very difficult for the ikon painter to use. The ancient egg tempera method uses dry pigments which you mix with the medium each time you use them. This might seem intimidating to the novice, but it is quite easy. Egg tempera is also easy to clean up.

Selecting the right pigments is very important. The traditional ikon palate is based on natural elements and is much cooler than the paints found for sale in art stores. You will find that natural pigments will harmonize within your composition in a way that mass-produced, synthetic paints never can. I suggest the following pigments for the beginning ikon painter; Green Earth, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, French Ochre, Slate Grey, Ivory Black, Hematite, and Ultramarine Blue. All of these will cost a total of around $40 and come in 50 and 100 gram glass bottles from Sinopia. These quantities will last a long time for the novice painter. I also recommend buying Titanium White over old Flake White, which is lead-based and a hazardous material. Plus, I find Titanium White has stronger tinting qualities. A rich blue for traditional ikon backgrounds and the robes of the Virgin and Christ is recommended. Here, I suggest Cobalt Blues over Lapis-Lazuli colors, which are extremely expensive. Dark Cobalt Blue comes closest to the color used by Giotto for the backgrounds of his work. Reds are also a special case. Cinnabar, which is the genuine color of Vermilion, is best, but expensive. Ikon painters who want to achieve the rich, bright reds of Russian painting must use Cinnabar. Sinopia carries some alternative pigments, such as Permanent Red, which will work well.

Greens were always a problematic color for ancient and medieval painters and were normally based on impermanent vegetable dyes or minerals like malachite and copper. I suggest a Cobalt Green be added to the range of your pigments. The last pigments I have recommended, Cobalt Blue, Cinnabar and Cobalt Green will cost about another $70, but as I mentioned earlier, should last a long time.

For more details on pigments I suggest contacting Sinopia, they are very helpful in recommending colors and have a catalog they can send you in the mail.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

 

 

How Ikons Are Created – The Board

The panel on which you paint an ikon is very important. In ancient times cypress or lime where the preferred woods, but these are now hard to find. Soft resinous woods – like pine – simply will not work and should be avoided. Most hardware stores carry hardwoods, like ash and maple, which will work well if they are fine grained. I also use hardwoods like cherry, pear, walnut and holly, which can be rather expensive and hard to find. For those on a budget, particle board will work, but the results are not the best. In selecting a board watch for fine grain – pick a panel without any knots, cracks or warping. A flat board is the easiest to use, however I often carve out the traditional nitch in the center (not possible with particle boards) of the panel.This is a laborious process and should be left to wood-working professionals or advanced students of ikonography.

Pandora carries prepared ikon panels which are expertly crafted in various sizes and shapes. This boards are made in the traditional way, with slats inserted across the back to prevent warping for an extra charge. They will even send them to you pre-gessoed, which saves a great deal of time. They are very expensive.

If you want to make your own – or if you buy a pre-made panel that is not gessoed – you board must be primed by using a combination of chalk and natural glue. This is called True Gesso and it is essential to use it for egg tempera painting. The acrylic gessos sold in stores will NOT work with ikon painting. One part glue is combined with 10-12 parts water and allowed to soak overnight. This mixture is then heated in a double boiler and applied in one or two coats to the wood board. This helps the coats of gesso-primer to better adhere to the board. After this has dried thoroughly a misture of 1 part glue solution to 1 1/2 parts chalk is mixed and heated in the double boiler. Mix the ingredients very gently. The gesso should be heated until warm, but not allowed approach boiling. It should be allowed to cool a bit (some pass the mixture through cheesecloth at this point, but I don’t) and they be applied on the board in six to eight rather thin coats with a large, soft, clean, flat brush. Some suggest applying the gesso in rapid cross strokes, which gently wipe out the furrows of the brush as you go. This works for me. All coats of gesso must be applied in one extended session or the coats may not adhere to each other well. It can be rather tricky to know when each coat has dried sufficiently to take the next one. I watch the surface to see when the wet shine has completely vanished. This will happen rapidly, especially with the first coats. After all the layers are allied the board should be palaced in a dry spot and allowed to completely dry out. This takes at very least 24 hours and it is best to wait another day or so to be sure the panel is ready.

At this point I take a very fine sandpaper and polish the surface of the panel as finely as possible. Use a circular motion for best results. I can usually tell when a panel is done by the appearance of the surface of the gesso which is ready when it has a very slight glassy appearance in a raking light.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

How Ikons Are Created – What you will need to get started with ikon painting

 

To get started in ikon painting you will need a board to paint on, gesso with glue, pigments, eggs, gilding materials (when you are ready to gild) and varnish. Finding supplies for ikon painting has been difficult until recently. Artists, particularly in small towns, found it hard to locate supplies locally. An even bigger problem was getting books which explained the technique; there was little in print anywhere on egg tempera painting.

I used to order most of my pigments from England, which was difficult and costly. Now, with the advent of the Internet it is incredibly easy to find supplies. All of these materials are now available from a store in San Francisco which has a site for ordering on the web. Materials – especially pigments – can be expensive. For a while I bought my pigments from another store in San Francisco, until a clerk told me about Sinopia, which is at least 50% less expensive than any source I have yet found. For the rest of the section of the website on the craft of ikonography I will make the assumption that you will be getting your supplies from them and will describe specific colors and products they carry.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

How Ikons Are Created – What is Ikonography?

Ikon painting is often called ‘ikonography’ or the art of ‘writing of an ikon’. This is ancient terminology which is used to describe the technique which conveys the image of a medieval scribe carefully copying out a manuscript in exact script. This is an apt picture to visualize this ancient art, since the craft of ikonography involves conscious copying and duplication of long established types. Some might say that ikonography is a lesser art, since it involves a limited number of types and set forms of expression. This is a narrow way of looking at ikon art, which resonates with thousands of subtle nuances indicating the deep spiritual consciousness and cultural roots of the artist. As this spans almost 2,000 years of continuous renewal and reinterpretation of the art the range of expression is far greater than many would expect.

Our modern culture values individual expression above all. The very idea of limits on creativity is considered the antithesis of true art. However, this cultural hedonism is a new phenomena and it is not clear what products of our era will represent the high culture of the 21st century culture to our forebearers. Therefore, whatever judgement our culture places on ikons is rather meaningless to ikons long-term. They will continue to be created, and to nurture and teach future generations.

One possible way to understand ikongraphy and the relation of the painter to the ikon they are painting might be to think of a musician playing a famous piece by Chopin. Most listeners would know the piece very well and listening to it would notice how the rendition of the artist interpreted the composer. The piece would always be Chopin, but it might be a distinctly different rendition. However, it would be noticed if the artist changed the notes or rearranged the piece.

Improvisation in ikon painting is a tricky affair and should be avoided until the technique of ikon painting has been mastered. Improvisation usually involves making ikons ‘prettier’, which is a subjective reaction. Every generation has it’s own idea about beauty and it is virtually impossible to avoid modern elements to enter into an ikon copy. Some of these are so subtle the painter may not even notice them. This is why ikons of different eras look different to us today. In their time these differences would have been less noticeable. Therefore, if the goal is to create the most accurate ikon possible, one with as much of the feel of the original as possible, it is best to conform as closely as possible to every detail of ikon you choose to paint. Over time it is a good idea to select a number of different ikons in different schools of ikon painting. Doing this helps the painter to learn differences in style, palate and methods of painting.

Ikon painting can be a challenging technique to learn, mostly because the modern painter must unlearn many things they have been taught about art. Many of the principals behind ikonography are diametrically opposed to methods of painting generally taught in Western art for hundreds of years. It is not an expressionist art or medium that is sympathetic to bold brushwork. The idealistic forms of ikons require careful study before the flow and balance of line in the drawing can be mastered. The craft of ikonography with its careful and painstaking technique is a process which lends itself to mental concentration and spiritual contemplation.

Like learning the piano, with practice and concentration, beautiful images can be created. With time and work the forms, methods and palate of ikon painting can become second nature to the artist. When that has been achieved the ikon painter can attempt more personal expression, but not before. At the same time it is not just an issue of technique and a subconscious identification with medieval ideas of beauty. The most successful ikons are painted by artists who understand and can identify closely with the subjects they are painting as well as having an understanding of history. Reading books on Orthodox spirituality, ikons, or prayer are all helpful in achieving a true comprehension of the real essence of ikons.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

Ikon History – Ikons in the Modern Age

It might seem curious to begin a discussion of ikons in the ‘modern age’ by starting in Russia around 1700, but this period is extremely interesting, as it was a time with Russian ikon painting was colliding head on with Western Art. This was true not only in ikon painting, but also was happening in architecture and the decorative arts. While western styles of art were relatively harmless when it came to palaces and portraits of living men and women, it was quite another thing when it came to ikons of Christ and the saints. The church was very skeptical of innovations from western Europe. The fact that Tsar Peter the Great was a rapid enthusiast for everything from the west meant that the church could not avoid these influences. Production centers of ikons were located in the Kremlin under the Tsar’s patronage and it was assured he would give direction in how he the styles his artists used.

Western influences in Russian art were not new. There had been a regular flow of western European popular religious prints and engravings for a very long time. Catholic Poland and Lithuania were very nearby, and their long established cultural connections with Kiev and Ukraine were strong. These influences from abroad had rather a spotty effect on Russian ikon painting. Catholic-appearing ikons were liable to be burnt if found by zealous churchmen.

During the 17th century Russian ikon art had reached an incredible level of technical perfection. The famous Stroganov school was producing jewel-like ikons in luscious colors with incredible detail. Old ikon themes continued to be chosen as subjects, but many Stroganov painters liked to pick new and obscure subjects for their painting. Painters liked to show off their bravura technique with crowed scenes, fantastic architecture and highly decorated clothing on their figures. This style was highly popular among the Muscovite aristocracy, but it did not work very well in monumental church settings. Also, the spiritual aspect of ikon painting suffered in the Stroganov school, when artists were obviously striving for superficial effect, rather than spirituality.

This changes with the arrival of famous artists like Simon Ushakov and Fyodor Zubov (an example of his work is at top left), who worked in the Tsar’s Armoury Workshops. The second ikon is by a follower of Ushakov, Filateyev. The ikon is large and was obviously intended for a church ikonstasis. The painting is shows how far western realism was impacting Russian art. Although it carefully follows strict Church canons regarding the depiction of Christ, details, such as the face, show a striving on the part of the artist to create a ‘real’ person. The modeling of the figure is extremely fine and almost exceeds the ability of egg tempera painting to reproduce soft graduations of shadow. This is a conscious effort of the artist to imitate the effect of oil painting in a media unfriendly to soft shadows. The clothes of Christ, following the Stroganov style, are highlighted in fine lines of gold, which give lend figure a burnished, almost metallic effect.

The second ikon at left, Christ – King of Kings, is very large, about six feet tall. It is a few years earlier than the ikon just discussed and has a number of features that show it comes from the previous decade. Here Christ is shown in regal garb, like a Muscovite Tsar. His clothes are fashioned on the ancient robes of Byzantine Emperors, made of thick orange brocade woven with gold and silver, set with gemstones. In His left hand He carries a wand of authority, while his right gives a traditional Orthodox blessing. Christ’s head is adorned with a highly ornate, scaley diadem of superimposed crowns, topped with a cross. The face and hands are delicately modeled.

Next, at left is an unusual ikon of the Theotokos from the 1700’s. Here decorative elements completely overwhelm the traditional depiction of the Mother of God with Christ. Behind the figures baroque architecture and unusual motifs compete in a busy background. The Virgin stands behind a table covered with rich brocade and carries a regal scepter which has exploded in bloom. She wears a western-style crown and is dressed in stiff orange-colored gold brocade robes. Two gold vases flank the Virgin and Christ, loaded with tulips and other flowers – perhaps showing the influence of Dutch floral painting. Christ is dressed like a tiny Russian Tsar, crowned and carrying a big orb and is own scepter. In such an ikon all spiritual power inherent in the subject matter seems completely drained. Such an ikon is a more an caprice, rather than an ikon. Its an ornamental painting designed to decorate a fashionable chamber or charm guests.

This type of degenerate ikon art, which attempted to blend western European styles with ikonographical subject matter, while pretty, was a spiritual dead end. However, elite patrons wanted to show-off their increasing sophistication and westernization with ikons that they imagined ‘fit in’ with artistic currents in the rest of Europe. From 1700 onward the educated and intellectual elites became increasing estranged from Orthodoxy, all the while observing superficial aspects of religious practice. For example, life’s milestones, like weddings and births continued to be observed by the gift of ikons. No Russian Orthodox home in St. Petersburg or Moscow would be without its wall or corner of family ikons, rather like long ago, forgotten members of the family, regardless of the convictions of the occupants.

The fourth ikon at left shows the type of ikon that a prosperous family in Russia would have chosen to decorate a dining room or bedroom. It dates from 1908-17, but it could have been produced fifty years earlier. The painting is done in oils and the noteworthy feature isn’t Christ, it’s the splendid silver-gilt covering which would have dazzled in the special ikon corner of a middle-class home. Such ikons were often mass-produced in factory assembly line settings. Sometimes the figure of the saint underneath was not completed, only the parts that would be exposed were painted.

At the end of the 19th Century Russians were learning to take particular pride in their own culture and heritage. They began to reject aspects of Western culture which seemed overtly foreign. This was particularly true in the decorative and church arts, but the move to old national forms was widespread in all artistic areas, including architecture. From 1860 to the late 1880’s this affection for Russian motifs was somewhat hesitant. The old styles still had the aura of the village about them for some sophisticates, and Western forms held on for awhile.

During the reign of the last Tsar there was an explosion of culture in Russia, which has been called the Silver Age. During this time scholars began to study ancient Russian and Byzantine art. Political uncertainties and a general dissatisfaction with the benefits of a western secularized society lead people to look for meaningful spiritual experiences which were rooted in Russia. Ikon painting had always survived in the villages, towns like Palekh and Mistera were traditional centers of ikon art, where generations of families practiced the craft.

The last ikon at left shows St. Gennady of Kostroma. It was painted in Moscow in 1900 and shows a curious, yet successful fusion of a fine linear drawing with an extremely delicate and careful technique. The ikon has a flat, almost brittle feel. The ikon is signed by the artist, which became common after 1700. Celebrated artists of the time, like Vasnetsov and Nesterov tried to integrate traditional ikonography with artistic currents of the time. The results can be seen in the paintings of St. Vladimir’s Cathedral in Kiev and in the Art Nouveau influenced religious art of Nesterov at the Martha and Mary Convent in Moscow.

 Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

Ikon History – Twilight of Byzantium

In 1204 the Latin soldiers of the Fourth Crusade diverted from the Holy Land and instead attacked the city of Constantinople. During the siege of the city fires purposely set by the Latins in an attempt to breach the wall defenses spilled into the city. The fire burned for days, spreading its way like a serpent through a large part of Constantinople. Since the city was, like ancient Rome, built on seven hills, and the fact that most of the poorer neighborhoods where built of wood, the fire grew to enormous size very quickly. No one had ever seen such a calamity. The resulting loss of art, architecture and literature placed the fire on par with the infamous burning of the Library of Alexandria. Many of the great works of classical art, which had decorated the streets of the city were consumed by flames or melted down for base coinage after the city fell. Untold thousands of books, paintings and other treasures, from over 1600 years of Hellenic and Roman culture were lost forever. No one thought it was possible. For the first time Constantinople had fallen to a foreign army. Even though the Latin Soldiers were supposed to be fellow Christians, they despised the Byzantines as heretics because they did not consider the Roman Pope to be the supreme head of the church and followed practices which were slightly different from those back in the Catholic world. Also, they considered the Byzantines effeminate because they took regular baths, read books and loved art. The city was devastated during the Crusader sack, and immense quantities of rare fabrics, gold, silver and gemstones, looted from the churches and palaces of the city were piled up and shipped off to the West. Many art works followed, including the four famous gilded horses from the Hippodrome which decorate the facade of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice.

Thousands of Greek refugees, harassed by bands of Crusaders along the way, poured out of Constantinople for safety in the Balkan states, Greece and Asia Minor. Artists were included in this exodus and they took their skill with them. Greek empires were created in Nicaea, Trebizond and Arta. At these courts, especially at Nicaea, the arts flourished under the patronage of Greek rulers who were anxious to create their own, much-reduced, Imperial courts. A new style of Byzantine Art emerged in these cities the Balkans. The ikon at top left of the Archangel Gabriel is a good example. It shows the angel in dark green and blue garments with the edge of a bright red sleeve showing from under the angel’s tunic. The modeling of the figure, especially the face, is highly worked in a restrained, classical style. The bright highlights on the face and clothing are typical of the time and add an electric, almost nervous, aspect to the ikon. Gabriel carries a staff and bends in deference to the left. This is an indication that this ikon may come from a Deesis tier of an iconostasis. The style is called Paleologian after the aristocratic family that usurped the Nicaean throne and retook Constantinople from the Latins in 1271.

Entering Constantinople, which was hurriedly abandoned by the last Latin Emperor and Catholic Patriarch in a Venetian ship crammed with as much treasure as they could quickly cart off, the returning Greeks found their city dirty, defiled, and with large abandoned tracks of ruins. Constantinople was a but a shadow of its former grandeur and the city that had been the most fabulous and beautiful in Christendom was gone. Seventy years of Latin rape, exploitation and neglect of the city was everywhere to be seen. What wasn’t too heavy to move had been taken away to Venice, Rome or Barcelona. Most of the ancient bronze statues that had survived the sack of the city had been hauled off as scrap metal by the Venetians, to be recast as cannon or struck as cheap coins. The Latins had even sold the lead roof of the Imperial Palace of Blachernae. When reoccupied by the Byzantines it was so filthy a complete cleaning and renovation was required to make it habitable again. Many of the famous religious relics of the city were gone, too; for example, the famous Crown of Thorns, which was said to have sat upon Christ’s head during the Passion was sold by the Latin rulers of the City to France, where it was to rest in Sainte Chapelle in Paris for hundreds of years to come.

The Paleologians occupied the throne of Constantinople for the next 180 years, but circumstances were quite different than those enjoyed by their Imperial predecessors. Money was very short and what funds were available were spent to defend the shrinking borders of the Empire. When part of the dome and eastern arch of Hagia Sophia collapsed in 1346’s it was some time before the needed repairs could be done because of a shortage of funds. A substantial donation from the Great Prince of Moscow made the restoration possible. It caused a great deal of grief in the Orthodox world that the once powerful Byzantine Emperors were now begging for handouts from their former client states and vassals to repair the Great Church of Hagia Sophia. Even the Imperial Crown Jewels were pawned and replaced by diadems of cut glass and gilded leather. To the surprise and dismay of guests at Imperial Paleologian dinners in the 14th century, they were no longer served on silver and gold. Embarrassingly, in place of these splendid settings were laid cheap ceramic and pewter.

In spite of the wretched circumstances of the Imperial Government, private aristocratic families of Byzantium were still extremely wealthy and continued to build fabulous palaces and establish glittering churches – although on a reduced scale in comparison to their ancestors. The second ikon on the left is from the apse in the side chapel of the Church of St. Savior in Chora in Istanbul, which was rebuilt and redecorated by a erudite and highly cultured high official of the Byzantine Court, Theodore Metochites, around 1300. This building contains one of the most extensive surviving decorative schemes of any Byzantine building of the time and is critical to an understanding of the artistic style in aristocratic circles of the time. The painting depicts St. Cyril of Alexandria, one of the fathers of the church. It dates from around 1350 and is interesting because it reveals a number of trends in Byzantine art of the time; including an increased emphasis on caricature, angularity, more intense use of color and a love of decorative elements.

The miniature ikon below St. Cyril is of St. John Chrysostom, a former Bishop of Constantinople who lived in the 5th century. His enlarged forehead, tiny eyes and pinched face, while loyal to the accepted image of St. John, are shown in an exaggerated and manneristic fashion, typical features of Paleologian art. Below the ikon of St. John is a detail from a large mosaic of St. George from the vaults of the Chora Church. Although the face has the same fresh and idealistic look (similar to his depiction on the ikon from Sinai) of the saint which had been loyally adhered to by Byzantine artistic canons for almost 1,000 years, certain elements in the figure, such as the egg-shaped head, and excessively decorated robes are hallmarks of the Paleologian style shown here at its zenith.

The next image at left shows the Theotokos holding Christ tightly to her face. It is an angular painting which perhaps shows the mastery of the artist, who probably drew the figure freehand, without reference to pattern books often used by artists less sure of their talent. The Virgin’s eyes peer off into the center of the chapel apse, while a chubby infant Christ, settles heavily into her arms and tugs at her robe. It’s a curious ikon, detached; the indirect look of the Virgin’s seems distracted. Consciously or unconsciously, the artist’s depiction of the Theotokos reflects the uncertainty of the time in which it was painted. After the initial euphoria of the recapture of Constantinople, Byzantium was soon torn apart by domestic divisions and civil wars. Although it was barely noticed by the Byzantines at the time, who were obsessed with their own internecine conflicts, the Ottoman Turks were just beginning their fateful conquest of the heartland of the Empire, Western Asia Minor. This would ultimately result in the Islamic swallowing up of the Byzantine Empire by the Turks.

Art historians have generally concluded that the last decades of Byzantine art – those years leading up to the conquest of the city by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II on May 29, 1453 – was a period of decadence and a serious decline in art patronage as Constantinople struggled for its very life. Beyond the walls of the city, in distant parts that still held out against the Turks, a valiant attempt was made to rally Hellenism and save the ancient legacy of Byzantium. In the town of Mistra near Sparta in Greece many artists and intellectuals from the city took refuge. In one of the last outposts of the Empire they attempted to rekindle the culture they had inherited from Greece, Rome and Medieval Byzantium. For a few years the flame burned brightly. The last image at left shows a detail from a painting of the Nativity which comes from one of last of Mistra’s churches to be decorated before the Turkish army overwhelmed them as well. The Virgin has just given birth to our Lord who is wrapped in swaddling clothes and attended by a cow and a donkey. The image of the Theotokos is one of the most intense we still have from Byzantium. It shows the artistic genius that the 1100 year old culture of Byzantium could still muster in its twilight years.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images. 

Ikon History – Golden Age of Russian Ikons

During the late 12th and early 13th centuries Russia was racked by internal divisions. Petty local princes fought for political supremacy and destroyed the economic strength and unity of the nation. Outside forces were eager to exploit these divisions and in 1237 the worst possible calumnity befell Russia when the Mongol Khan and his Muslim army fell on Russia like ravenous wolves. It was a very unlucky time for the Russia. On December 6, 1240 the great city of Kiev fell to the Muslim Mongols. After a ferocious siege of the city the defences suddenly were breached. Thousands of Muslim soldiers poured into the Kiev hungry for loot, rape and destruction. Ignoring the sanctity of shrines of Kiev, the churches and cathedrals of the city were set aflame by the Mongols with full knowledge that the people of the city – innocent men, women and children – were huddled within, praying for deliverance. Meanwhile, tens of thousands perished in their homes and the streets of the city, cut down indiscriminately by the Mongols. It was the blackest moment in the history of ancient Russ.

For sixty years the Mongols continuously pillaged the country at leisure. After they had carried off everything of value they could get their hands on, the Mongols of the Golden Horde settled down in their domination of Russia. They began a program of extortion, exacting ruinous yearly tribute from the population. During the period of Mongol occupation all of the arts, including ikon painting suffered. The Mongols bled the country dry, but they were prepared to leave the population alone as long as their heavy taxes were collected and delivered to them by their Russian vassals. Lucky for Russia the Mongol forces were unable to subjugate the entire country. In the north the famous merchant city of Novgorod the Great maintained its independence in the face of the Mongol hordes from the east and the Teutonic Knights pressing from the Baltic. In Novgorod and in the nearby city of Pskov, Russian culture went on in uncertain and perilous times. In both cities local schools with unique characteristics in ikon painting emerged. Very little of the artistic output of this period has survived, but remaining examples tell us the deep well of classicism, which had flowed from Byzantium into Russia had been cut off by the Mongol conquest. Novgorod and Pskov ikons of this period are often harsh and austere. Bright red backgrounds become commonplace, outlines become simpler, and the modeling of figures is noticeably flat and abstract. The overall effect of ikons of this period is direct and no-nonsense.

This period also saw the rise of the Muscovite state where a new center of ikon painting emerged. The new Moscow style of ikon painting was heavily influenced by foreign Greek and Serbian artists who were imported by the relatively wealthy Moscow Princes to paint the new churches of their city. In 1378 Theophanes, a Greek artist, painted the church of the Transfiguration in Moscow. His work in Russia was greeted with astonishment by local artists. Theophanes worked very fast and his style was extremely expressive and mystical. He could draw a large figure in fresco on a wall with guide books or drafts, a bravura performance which dumfounded the Russia artists, who had been trained to careful copy from pattern books. Local artists tried to imitate his style, but their work shows how difficult it was to master his free and easy-flowing style.

During the period from 1350 through the fall of Constantinople in 1453 contacts between Byzantium and Russia again became frequent. Churchmen, merchants and artists from Russia were able to see, first-hand, the splendors and ancient Christian art of the city. Many ikons of in the distinctive Paleologian style were imported to Russia. These had a tremendous influence on taste and painting styles.

The Royal Doors at upper left date from around 1425 and show how deeply the Paleologian style permeated Russian art of the time. “Royal Doors” lead from the center of the church through a screen of ikons into the altar area. They are a primary focus of the liturgy in Orthodox churches. At the top of the doors is the familiar scene of the Annunciation shown in two parts. Below are ikons of the four Evangelists. All the figures show the small head, tiny feet, hands, swelling bodies and fantastic architecture that are the signature of the Paleologian style. However much they follow Byzantine models, the Royal Doors are completely Russian in feeling, color and rhythm. The Russian palate was different from the Byzantine. In Russia some pigments – such as bright blues – were difficult to locate and very expensive. They were reserved for paintings of Christ of the Theotokos. Use of local materials leans the Russian palate of the time toward bright cinnabars, golden ochres and dark greens. There is also a noticeable tendency toward wide expanses of pure color without dark underpainting.

The third ikon at left shows Christ in Glory and dates from around 1410 and is the work of the great Andrei Rublev, a monastic painter who has been recognized as a saint by the Russian church. The ikon shows Christ enthroned on a heavenly throne. In the blue halo around Him fly angelic cherubim. In the red corners are symbols of the four Evangelists. The small ikon is of extraordinary quality and deeply spiritual. The technique and drawing are superb. Many of Rublev’s ikons have been damaged by repainting and excessive restoration. This is one of the few examples which retains its surface and hence shows us the original appearance of Rublev’s masterful work.

The next ikon at left is called the “Trinity” and it originally adorned the ikonstasis of the church in the holy St. Sergius Monastery near Moscow where the body of the St. Sergius lay in a silver coffin. The ikon has been heavily damaged by the attachment of a heavy silver cover, repainting and overzealous restoration in the Soviet Era. The paint surfaces are heavily abraded and it is difficult to appreciate the original state of the ikon today. masterful drawing, intense spiritualism and love of the classical beauty of old Byzantium still shines through. It was painted in 1411 and shows the three angels who visited Abraham at Mamre and are symbols of the Holy Trinity. In the center is the angel representing Christ. This is evident from the purple and blue garments. To the right is the angel who represents the Holy Spirit. Both angels bow before the third, who represents God the Father and the senior member of the Trinity. The ikon at bottom is a much reduced copy of the Trinity dating from the late 1400’s. The technique does not compare to Rublev, but the colors give some hint of the intensity of the hues in the Trinity when it was first painted.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

Ikon History – Medieval balkan States

In the sixth century massive invasions of Slav immigrants virtually ended urban life in the Balkans. Churches, villas and cities from Macedonia to the Pelleponesus where devastated and abandoned. The arts, such as ikon painting continued, but the level of artistry greatly declined and most artists who continued their craft fled to Constantinople, the Islands of the Aegean Sea, or Thessaloniki. During the Iconoclastic controversy of the eighth and ninth centuries maritime Greece began a center of resistance to the edicts against images from Constantinople. At the same time as the restoration of icons in 843, Greece and the Balkans were making tenuous economic and cultural progress. Regional power centers began to build churches and monasteries and these were decorated with ikons. Patrons who were looking for the finest work naturally turned to the capital city, Constantinople, for artists and precious pigments for painting. Some of these teams of painters stayed on to found their own regional schools of painting, usually associated with local courts, bishops and monasteries. During the 12th and early 13th centuries the Balkans appear to have experienced a tremendous increase in economic properity and the number of monuments increases correspondingly.

The large ikon of the Annunciation at upper left was brought to the lakeside Macedonian city of Ohrid, by Abbot Galaktion from the Monastery of the Virgin “Saviour of Souls” in Constantinople during the reign of the Emperor Andronikos II (1282 – 1328). It is contempory with the famous mosaics of the Chora Church in Constantinople. There was constant traffic accross the Balkans and the churches were in close contact with one another. Travellers to Constantinople usually brought back with them many precious things from the Imperial city. Ikons were usually among these treasures.

The ikon shows the Archangel Gabriel striding toward the seated Virgin, who is spinning red thread. The arc of the Angel’s wing leads from heaven directly through his arm to Mary. From above the Holy Spirit desends upon her. Mary sits on a golden throne, set with red silken pillows within a columned niche. The Theotokos is wrapped in an Imperial purple mantle over a dark blue dress. She wears the scarlet slippers reserved exclusively for Byzantine Emperors and Empresses. The Angel wears classical garments which have their echo in 5th century art and the painting resoundly mirrors classical traditions. The Paleologian style of the ikon is unmistakable in the excessive modelling of the figures, the electric highlights and the bulging heaviness of the Angel’s body.

The ikon at center is a miniature of the Annunication made of mosaic set in wax. The cubes of the mosaic are very small and made of lapis, gold, silver, semi-precious stones and other materials. Ikons of the Annunication were a delight for ikon painters because the subject gave them an opportunity to experiment with festive colors, fanciful architecture and new drapery forms within the guidelines of the ikon type. Even within the minute size of this ikon the artist has managed to place a classical collonade and inlaid floor in the scene.

There is great debate amoung the Balkan nations about the national origin of artists who worked during the Golden Age of Balkan painting in the 13-15th centuries. It is often extremely difficult to assign nationalities to many of the artists of the time, for few details are known of their lives. However, the best work in the medieval churches of Serbia and Macedonia show a level of inspiration and techinque which is equal to anything being done at the time in Europe. The ikon of Christ at lower left is from the Serbian monastery of Chilandari on Mt. Athos in Greece. It represents many of the characteristics of the Serbian school – attention to realism, a harmonious, muted range of colors and a monumental style. The explosion of Balkan art was set back by the conquest of the Serbian Empire by the Ottoman Turks in the late 14th and 15th centuries.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images. 

Ikon History – Early Russian Ikons

The Russian national state shares common roots with Ukraine in the capital city of ancient Russ, Kiev, situated on the Dnieper River. Old chronicles tell us the pagan rulers of Kiev concluded that their nation was rising on the world stage and as a world power needed to change its religion to increase the spiritual and cultural level of the nation. The chronicles report that the Great Prince of Kiev sent embassies around the world to find the faith that best suited his nation and people. Travelling from nation to nation they visited Muslims and Jews at worship observing their forms of worship and pondering the way of life that each religion taught. The emissaries judged neither of these worthy religions suitable for Russ. Finally, they visited the city of Constantinople and attended Divine Liturgy in the great cathedral of Hagia Sophia. The Russians were dumfounded by the richness and sublime beauty of the service, the church and the celestial singing of the Byzantine choirs in the lofty, domed cathedral. They breathlessly reported back to Kiev that in Hagia Sophia they were unable to tell if they were on earth or in heaven. The choice was made, Byzantine Orthodoxy it would be.

In 988 the Great Prince of Kiev, Vladimir, accepted baptism for himself and ordered his whole nation to follow his example. In doing this he acknowledged the fact that Christianity had already made tremendous inroads into the life of ancient Russ. For more than 100 years evangelists from the Byzantine world had achieved great success in converting his people to Orthodox Christianity. In fact, Kievian Russ instinctively looked down the Dnieper past the Black Sea to the great city of Constantinople for her cultural and spiritual inspiration. Russian merchants, churchman and warriors, travelled to Constantinople regularly and saw first hand how things where done in the Imperial city they called $#34;Tsargrad”. Church services back home in Kiev were closely modeled upon Byzantine norms and many ikons and liturgical furnishings where brought back for Kiev’s growing number of sanctuaries.

Although the first ikons in Kiev were certainly imported, Byzantine artists were soon lured north to Kiev to work and teach their craft there. The most important and influential school of painting in Russia was established in the famous catacomb Monastery of the Caves. The earliest ikons painted in Russia closely followed Byzantine models. It took some time for the Russian masters to acquire the high technical level of Constantinople. The enormous ikon at upper left, is composed of three boards fused together and is called the Great Panagia. This ikon was known in Russia as the paladin or protector of princes and most probably decorated a column in one of the Great Prince’s churches. The Theotokos is painted in a severe, classical style, with her arms extended in prayer. In her breast is an aureole containing the image of Christ in her womb. Above both of her arms are images of two archangels holding glass orbs topped with crosses adoring the Theotokos and Christ. The Virgin stands upon a red carpet which is a good example of Christian carpet weaving of the time. Her robes are imperial purple and dark blue, liberally splashed with wide areas of gold. What is interesting about the ikon is the confidence of the painter in deviating from a simple slavish copying of inherited Byzantine forms.

The painter has modeled the face of the Virgin in an almost abstract fashion with vibrant color and subtle shading. The majestic, unearthly effect of this ikon is a precursor to later Russian ikon painting which reaches its zenith in the transandental works of Andrei Rublev four hundred years later.

An alternate form of this ikon, showing the Theotokos only to the waist, is called “Znaminie” in Russia, or “Our Lady of the Sign”. The example at lower right was painted 700 years after the Great Panagia The ikon continued to be associated with Russian princes and the Court Church of Tsarskoe Selo outside St. Petersburg was dedicated to it. The last Tsarina of Russia, Alexandra Fyodorovna, had a special copy made of this ikon which she always carried with her. It was called “Our Lady of Tsarskoe Selo” and other copies where placed in most of the private rooms of the Tsar’s palace.

Below this ikon is the famous Christ, “Painted Without Hands”, which was displayed in the Moscow Kremlin Cathedral of the Assumption, where Russian Tsars were crowned, until the Bolshevik Revolution, when it was removed to a museum. The ikon is based on the famous Veil or mandylion of King Abgarus. The first record of this ikon dates from 590, when a Byzantine historian recorded the story of the ikon, which was miraculously imprinted upon a cloth by Christ himself. King Abgarus of Edessa had asked Christ for a picture of Himself and this was sent in reply. The cloth remained in Edessa until 944 when it was transferred to Constantinople to wild celebrations. The Byzantine Emperor received the Holy Veil himself and had it transferred to the Palatine Chapel. The Mandylion is sometimes confused with the Holy Shroud or “Sindona” in Turin.

The ikon of the Holy Veil pictured here has the same monumental style as the Great Panagia and is certainly produced in the same era. The face is quite similar to other ikons of this period, such as the great Christ of Cefalu in Palermo, Sicily. It is possible they are all based on a celebrated image of Christ created in Constantinople which is now lost to us. The drawing of this ikon is extremely sure and the strong lines of the face are complimented by thin gold lines which highlight the hair. The piercing glaze of this ikon was much noted and it was frequently copied.

The next ikon on the left is the famous Angel “With the Golden Hair”. Its tender gaze is quite a contrast to the stern face of Christ in the Holy Veil. The painting of the face is quite remarkable, showing the smooth graduations of fused color which were typical of Comnenian art in Constantinople during the 12th century. The last ikon is the famous Virgin of Vladimir, which came to Russia from Constantinople in 1131. The soft modeling of the faces and the intensity of the tender feeling of this ikon had a major impact on Russian art of the time. The ikon went through many troubles and repaintings before it arrived in Moscow, where it was placed on the ikonostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin. “Vladimirskaya”, as the ikon is called in Russia, was the holiest religious image in the country. As such, it attracted the interest of the Soviet Government in 1918 and was removed from the cathedral for restoration before it was placed in a glass case at the History Museum in Moscow and then was transferred the Tretyakov Museum in 1930. Of the original painting only the faces and small patch on Christ’s shoulder remain.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

Ikon History – Middle Byzantine Period

In the early 8th century there erupted a intense controversy in the Orthodox Church over the use of ikons in worship and prayer. The two sides in the battle were called ikonoclasts (opposed to ikons), and ikonodules (in favor of ikons). The argument over ikons had been going on in the church for several hundred years. Basically it broke down to whether the veneration of ikons was idolatry. Some people were offended by the kissing of images and the offering of incense and lighting of candles before them. It is very difficult to explain the nuance in the original argument in English. The ikonoclasts claimed that ikons were being worshiped, while the ikonodules argued that it was only veneration of ikons and a type of ’salute’ of the original depicted in the ikon. The actual Greek word for this veneration is proskynesis, and it the same veneration that was given to the Emperor. It involved humble reverence and bowing, but it was not worship.

The Emperor Konstantine the Fifth put together a council of his supporters and pushed through an edict in 730 which banned images. This council was uncanonical and represented the first time an Emperor inferred directly in the affairs of the church, ignoring the other patriarchs, including the Pope in Rome.

Many monks, nuns, lay people and priests died defending the images of Constantinople, which were torn down by mobs supported by Imperial troops. The Emperor didn’t stop with images for he ordered monks and nuns to wed and executed those who refused. Many of the Emperor’s ideas came from the eastern part of Asia Minor he came from and was supported by the army which was recruited from the same area.

The edict was observed strictly in Constantinople but only to varying degrees around the Empire. It was rescinded for a few years, then reinstated once again, finally ending in 843 with the total victory of the Orthodox.

During Iconoclasm the unbroken tradition of ikon painting was severely shaken. Technique suffered greatly and we can suppose ikons created during Ikonoclasm had a rougher, perhaps even somewhat crude, appearance, since by this time almost all ikons were being produced in monasteries by monks who had little use for Hellenism and the fine technique of 5th and 6th century icongraphy.

When ikon painters became working openly after 843 there was much to do. There were many churches that immediately needed decoration. It took many years for artists to rediscover and relearn the old techniques and styles. Materials for painting and mosaic work were also hard to find. Within 100 years the artistic quality of Constantinoplian ikon painting was the near-rival of anything ever done in the city. Ikons were created in egg tempera, mosaic, ivory , glass, marble, gold and precious stones. By the time the twice life-sized mosaic on the left was created in the south gallery of Hagia Sophia, around 1185, Byzantine art had attained a refinement and beauty that would never be achieved by them again. The mosaic depicts Christ enthroned as Pantokrator; on the left (not shown) is Mary, the Mother of God, while on the left (also nor shown here) is John the Baptist. Considering the location of the mosaic ikon, and the quality of the work itself, this is the product of one of the top artists of the time. Unfortunately, as with most ikon art, we do not know the name of its creator. The tiny size of the cubes and subtle coloring of the face is astounding. This mosaic is, perhaps, the finest surviving artistic achievement of Byzantium and ranks among the most important works of art in the world.

This level of achievement lasted past the fall of Constantinople to the Latin Crusaders in 1204 and the reestablishment of Byzantine rule in the City under Emperor Michael Paleologius in 1261. However, within a hundred years of the recovery of the City the style and quality of painting seems to decline. The lower icon on the left dates from 1363 and is typical of the work of the time. It shows Christ Pantokrator in virtually the same mode as the Hagia Sophia mosaic, but the drawing is awkward, the coloring is a bit garish and the ikon has an almost hulking feeling. It was commissioned by two high officials of the Byzantine Court, the Grand Stratopedarch Alexius and the Grand Primicerion John; who are depicted as small figures in the lower margins of the ikon. These two gentlemen are recorded as having been founders of a monastery dedicated to the Pantokrator, so this ikon may be associated with that foundation.

The mosaic ikon at the bottom also comes from the upper gallery of Hagia Sophia. It dates from the reign of Emperor John Comnenus and is of the Virgin “Nikopeia” which was the sacred ikon of Byzantine Emperors which was carried into battle with them. The original icon, of which this mosaic is a much enlarged copy, was stolen during the Latin sack of Constantinople in 1204 and how is enshrined on the left hand-side of the altar of St. Mark’s in Venice.

 Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

Ikon History – Our Lady of Kazan

Over the years a number of variants of ikons of Mary and Christ were created. The most popular new version in Russia was Our Lady of Kazan, which was called “Kazanskaya” there. The ikon was found in a garden in 1579 in the city of Kazan and therefore, all copies of the ikon must be painted from that date forward. The original ikon was carried by Prince Pozharsky into battle against the Poles and it began to take on a militantly nationalistic reputation.

A special church dedicated to the ikon was built in Kazan in 1679, but the ikon had been kept in Moscow since the victory over the Poles and a copy was installed in the new cathedral of Kazan. In 1821 the original icon of Our Lady of Kazan moved again, this time to St. Petersburg where it was installed in the new Kazan Cathedral on Nevskii prospect in the heart of the city. By this time the ikon had become extremely popular and there were nine separate miracle working copies of the ikon around the country.

By the middle of the 19th century the original ikon was encrusted in diamonds, massive emeralds and a gold cover. In 1918 the ikon was seized by the new Soviet Government and transported to Moscow. It vanished enroute, only to turn up in New York City, where it is in the possession of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.

The two examples opposite are 150 years apart. Although the drawing is similar, there are many differences between the two ikons, which shows the freedom that Russian artists felt in dealing with traditional ikon designs. There are slight changes in the folds of the garments, but the most striking difference is the coloration. In the lower ikon the artist has chosen a much warmer palate, including bright cinnabar for Christ’s robe. The painter has also used thin bright gold highlights over the surfaces of the clothes of Mary and Christ which makes it very decorative, but perhaps less spiritual. The modeling of the faces, particularly of the Virgin is much harder and less subtle in the later painting.

Ikons of Our Lady of Kazan are quite numerous and often found in sales of Russian art today.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images. 

Ikon History – Ikons of Mary, the Theotokos

The appellation for Mary of Theotokos, or Mother of God, became widespread in the Christian Church much earlier than the fifth century, when a council of the entire church at Ephesus made the title official. This ikon of Mary holding the infant Christ in her arms is a copy of the famous ikon of the Hodegetria or “Indicator of the Way”, in which she points toward her Son as the path of salvation. The Hodegetria ikon was very popular throughout the Christian Church and was, perhaps, the most widely reproduced ikon type of the Madonna in the Orthodox world.

Written records for the early history of the ikon are scarce. A long tradition associated with the ikon must have existed at least as early as the 4th century. The Hodegetria ikon was installed by the Empress Pulcheria in the mid-fifth century in a sanctuary (Theotokos ton Hodegon) she founded on a terrace overlooking the sea in the area of the Great Palace, which was in the eastern part of Constantinople. The sanctuary was alongside a sacred font. Later a monastery was erected beside the shrine of the ikon. Foundations of the sacred font, which is on two levels and fronted by a semi-circular colonnade, is all that is to seen of the church complex, although excavations about 10 years ago which seemed to be revealing more of it.

The church and the ikon were very popular and miraculous healings, most frequently of the blind, took place at the hagiasma (well or holy font).

The ikon was always associated with St. Luke and was said to be large, square, measuring six palms high and highly ornamented – probably by a cover in precious metals and stones. The back of the ikon had an image of the Crucifixion. Relics of St. Luke and a St. Symeon were said to have also kept at the church. Other relics of the Theotokos were kept at the church, as well.

In the later period (perhaps this was an very old tradition) the ikon was displayed or processed every Tuesday around the monastery. The whole city was said to be there. There was beautiful singing in front of the ikon and people were deeply moved – one Orthodox traveller from Novgorod says people wept in front of her. Flabella were carried in front of the ikon and there was a canopy carried by attendants. People were anointed with chrism on cotton balls from the ikon. There was also a special confraternity of men (all, it is said, from the same family) who carried the ikon on Tuesdays. The men were blindfolded with a special hait of red linen covering their faces and the ikon would miraculously direct them where to carry her around the monastery. While this happened the people sang a very long chant, which included “Lord have mercy”.

The ikon frequently and regularly travelled away from it’s shrine. During the Commenian period the ikon was brought every Friday to the Pantokrator Monastery, near the center of the city. A special church, dedicated to the ikon had been built there. The ikon was saved by the people of Constantinople during the Latin sack of the City by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, but ended up in the hands of Venetians, who stole it from the Latin Patriarch of the City and then kept it at the Imperial Monastery of the Pantokrator, which had been seized and converted to the Catholic rite. On the Thursday before Palm Sunday it was taken to the Imperial Palace and stayed there until Easter Monday. The ikon also appears to have visited the Palace every Saturday as it left the Pantokrator on the way back to the Hodegon. There are also texts which tell us that the ikon was sometimes taken to Hagia Sophia – which was fairly close to the Hodegon.

The ikon was carried about the walls of the city in times of trouble and it was in the Chora Church near the walls at the time of the fall of the City to the Turks. Immediately upon the fall of the City on Tuesday, May 29, 1453, the Islamic army headed directly for the Chora where they first despoiled the painting of its silver gilt mount and precious stones, before barbarously splitting the millennium-old ikon and smashing its remnants to bits.

Something of the rich cover of the ikon can be imagined looking at the Russian oklad at left, which comes from a Russian copy of the Hodegetria. Below it is a variant of the Hodegetria called “Soteria” and below it is another Russian variant called “Smolenskaya”.

 Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

Ikon History – Earliest Christian Ikons

After the death and resurrection of Christ the new faith spread rapidly throughout the Roman world and the Near East. The stories of the Apostles and early witnesses who had seen and known Christ Himself were eagerly listened to by converts to the new faith. Naturally, people who had seen Christ asked for descriptions of His appearance. At some point people began to create and distribute paintings of Christ. This also included his disciples and the really martyrs of the Christian faith. The earliest images we know of was a statue of Christ which Eusebius, an important early Christian bishop, says had been set up in Caesarea-Phillipi (Paneaus) by the woman healed by Christ of an issue of blood. He also notes that in his time there were very ancient images of Peter and Paul. However, the church was somewhat divided about images of Christ.

Eusebius refused to send the wife of Caesar Callus an image of Christ, for he thought it idolatrous and a violation of biblical injunctions. Some regional churches were against images as well, a local Spanish synod in 305 said images in churches were forbidden. However, the number of examples of paintings of the nativity and allegories of the Good Shepherd from around 250 AD, show how common Christian paintings had already become. The growth of images was concurrent with the development of the doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ and is closely tied to the growing awareness of this essential element of the Christian faith.

We can reasonably suppose that these early paintings of Christ and His saints were, at first, simply looked upon as realistic depictions of people; much like the casual way we look at photographs today. Very quickly certain characteristics of Christ and the saints where established as canons for their future depiction. For example, Peter the Apostle is shown slightly bald, with grey curly hair and a beard. Paul is show more bald in front with straight brown hair, a beard, a thick neck and sometimes with a bit of a paunch. These images most certainly originated in Rome, where people knew the two apostles and their physical appearance well. An example of an early ikon of St. Peter is shown at left. Above him are circular ikons of St. John, Christ and the Virgin.

In early Christian times there were two images of Christ that were more or less standardized. One was of a young, idealized and clean shaven “hero” type. The second was the image we are familiar with today – a man in his late 20’s or early 30’s with long hair tied at the back, a smooth beard, high forehead, long nose, and dressed in a loose, long robe and cloak.

In ancient Rome and throughout the Roman world the Emperors, upon their accession to the throne – and then throughout their reign – distributed paintings or statues of themselves and often their families to cities around the Empire. These images would be placed in prominent places by the city fathers. They were intended to locally represent the presence of the Emperor and his power. Incense and sacrifice were often offered to these images to prove a local municipality’s devotion to Rome or the Imperial Family. Individuals who wanted to make a show of their loyalty might do the same in their own homes.

Christians had a hard time participating in the public ceremonies which involved sacrifice to the Emperor’s portrait. For most people these ceremonies where simply a formalistic part of civic life and had little real meaning their lives. Few people really believed the Emperor was a god. The fact that Christians were unwilling to offer incense or Sacrifice was looked upon as a treasonous act. Many Christians died rather than worship the Emperor’s image – even if it was only a show in people’s eyes.

Early Christians looked not on earth for their King or Emperor, but to Heaven. It isn’t known exactly when images of Christ began to take on many of the attributes of Kingship, but at some point Christ’s poor robes were transformed into the Royal colors of blue and Imperial Purple, while he sat upon a splendid throne and silken cushions, his feet upon a jeweled footstool. Around his head gleamed a golden halo with rays showing the arms of the cross. Halos came from Persia and had longed been a symbol of divinity or holiness.

The ikon shown at left is painted in wax colors by means of heated spatulas. His robes are painted in Imperial Purple, which was reserved for the Emperor alone. His hand is raised in blessing and he holds a gold-covered gospels encrusted with gemstones. The ikon probably dates from the reign of the Emperor Justinian (527 – 565) and may be a dedicatory gift from him to the Monastery of St. Catherine, which he had built around 548. The ikon in the center is of the Virgin accompanied by Saints Theodore and George. Behind them angels gaze upon the blessing hand of God emerging from heaven. All of these three ikons are striking in that they strive to depict real people in naturalistic settings; they have all the characteristics of genuine portraits.

Taken from the website ICON’s- windows into heaven- A Collection of Sacred images.

The Heart of the World

 

 The Message of Monastic Life

 by Fr. Thomas Keating

Monastic life has been the guardian of much of Christian spirituality throughout the ages. Christian monasticism dates from the early part of the fourth century. It sprang up almost simultaneously in Egypt, Syria and Asia Minor While it expressed its inspiration in various concrete forms, all of them shared the same fundamental dedication to the search for God through silence, solitude, simplicity of lifestyle, and a discipline of prayer. These spiritual values were generally lived within a community which provided an environment conducive to the search for God.

Spiritual development is the birthright of every man and woman, not only of cloistered monks and nuns. Monastic life is simply a professional way of going about it. While the world as a whole tends to neglect and forget the knowledge of how to pursue and live a spiritual life, the monastic world has been occupied through the ages in trying to preserve that knowledge. At this moment of history, there are large numbers of genuine seekers after truth. Many of them never had a specific commitment to one of the Christian denominations, or even to any religion.

Others, who were raised as Christians or Jews, never heard any challenge to lead an interior life of prayer and union with God in their local churches or church-related schools.

During the last three or four centuries, the Christian spirituality of earlier times has become lost to view, and it is principally in monasteries that a continuing tradition of contemplation has been handed down. For this reason many of these seekers, both Christian and non-Christian, are turning to monasteries for some kind of guidance. This is especially true since the Vatican Council (1961-1965), which set in motion a vast program for the spiritual renewal of the Roman Catholic Church. This movement has awakened the interest of those in other Christian churches and in other religions who are seeking the spiritual renewal of their own traditions.

A contemplative monastery is a visible sign of our common human groping for interiority or wholeness and for what is deepest in human values. It is the sign of the Church’s groping for the fullness of the Christian mystery–oneness with God and with all creation. The monastic life-style is designed to lead those who enter it into a new attitude towards all reality. A certain measure of solitude and silence, and the practice of the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, reduce the distracting stimuli which reinforce our view of ourselves and the world. This gradual silencing of our habitual ways of thinking and reacting opens up our awareness to other realities and other values, especially the value of every other human being at the deepest level. The ultimate purpose of monastic life is to experience oneness with everyone else–and to bear all the consequences of that experience.

A certain experience of God is quite common in the population. People do not talk about it because they think that if they mention their experience to their friends, everyone will think they are crazy. People who are not even religiously minded have an experience of transcendence now and then, but they do not know how to articulate it. If they should hear a few words indicating knowledge of an experience which is beyond thoughts, which is very peaceful, and which arises spontaneously, this will awaken memories of experiences which were very real to them at one time. We have to begin to understand that it is normal to be contemplative; it just needs to be cultivated.

Have you ever experienced a few moments of interior silence? How would you describe it? Is there not a sense of a very deep, all-pervading peace, a sense of well-being, and a delicate joy, all at once? Why is it such a difficult state to maintain or return to? It seems easier to forget about the whole experience than to be plagued by the pain of lingering outside a door that seems to be locked from the inside. Yet, in spite of this lingering pain, the repeated experience of interior silence is a need that everyone has in order to be fully human. Our capacity for the transcendent is precisely what distinguishes us most from the rest of visible creation. It is what makes us most human.

A while ago a group of university students visited the Abbey on a field trip in connection with a course in mysticism they were taking in school. After a few brief introductions, they wanted to know about my past life, my reasons for entering the monastery, and what possessed me to reach such a decision. Having answered as best I could without completely undermining my reputation, I said to them, “May I now ask you a question? Have you ever experienced a few moments of interior silence?”

They thought about that for a few moments, and then, very gradually, began to respond. I doubt if any of them were church-goers. Their professor said later that their interest in Christian mysticism did not coincide with church-going, at least not much of it. It was intriguing to hear four or five of these young people discuss their various experiences of interior silence.

So I pursued it a little further. “What was it like?”

One girl said, “I can remember a few times when I was lying on my bed, and a sense of well-being came over me along with deep interior silence, peace and joy. The only trouble with it was that I couldn’t make it last. There was also no way of getting back to it after it had gone.”

Another made this observation: “It is like having a door inside of you that is normally closed. You would like to get in, but can’t; and yet, every now and then, it just opens up. The feeling is just wonderful. It is like coming home.”

I said, “Well, you can’t make it come about then?”

Several replied at once, “No.”

I said, “If you can’t bring it about, who is it that opens the door?”

They were not prepared to answer that question, except that they knew it was not themselves. As a result of experiencing these moments of interior silence, they seem never to have forgotten the occasions, even if they happened only once. Evidently, the experiences had made a great impression and had influenced their actions for some time afterward. But little by little they faded away, as the students got immersed once again in the daily round. One other point made by these young people was that the experience of inner silence was like being really one’s true self for a few moments, rooted in one’s self. It was a deep affirmation of their being.

Interior silence is a fairly frequent and even ordinary human experience. It is not something given only to very spiritual or holy people. It seems to respond to a real need, as real and vital as eating or sleeping. You can survive, of course, without moments of interior silence, while you cannot survive without eating or sleeping; but a question could be raised about the quality of your survival. If this spiritual need is not appeased, it will take revenge in strange ways, such as an uncomfortable hunger. We may find ourselves trying to cover up the remembrance of this hunger in order not to feel its pangs. A lot of compulsive behavior–drugs, sexual license, hyper activity, work for work’s sake–can be means of escaping from the awareness of this hunger. Nature seems to have provided us with the need of interior silence. We seek it as we seek returning to a place of security, warmth, and love. Christian revelation addresses itself to this natural tendency and tells us Who it is that opens the door and lets us in.

A contemplative monastery is a visible expression of the fact that a state or place of interior silence is really available to all, and that everyone is invited. Such a place possesses a mysterious fascination. People do not come merely to look at the liturgy. They do not come just to sniff incense or pick up religious vibrations in the church. They feel intuitively that a contemplative monastery has something they are looking for. The buildings suggest it; the solitude suggests it; the silence suggests it. A group of people seeking interior silence as a life’s work is a call to others to do something similar in their lives. This call is a significant service in our day; one, however, that is impossible to measure with any kind of tool.

But what are the consequences of responding to this call?

When you reduce the ordinary flow of thoughts and your emotional reactions to them, you enter into a new world of reality. Even on the level of the senses we hear sounds only within a certain frequency or see things at a certain distance. Dogs hear much more than we do. Hawks see much farther than we do. If the range of our senses is limited in these areas, it should be no surprise that there are other levels of awareness that our ordinary sense experiences do not perceive either. This is especially true of the level of spiritual reality, which is the level of the mysteries of the Christian faith. Ordinary hearing does not grasp them. Ordinary seeing does not perceive them. Thus, Jesus repeatedly reminded his listeners, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15), hinting that we must develop a greater capacity for hearing than the external ear alone. Christian tradition teaches that there are faculties of finer spiritual perception which develop in a climate of interior silence.

The principal means monks use to cultivate interior silence–external silence, a certain measure of solitude, and a non-possessive attitude–can be put into a concentrated form, like a capsule, to be taken daily, or several times a day. The traditional word for this is contemplative prayer.

Mary of Bethany gives us an example of how we might proceed. In the Gospel of Luke we read that “she seated herself at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching” (Luke 10:39). It is clear from the remarks of Jesus in her defense that she was engaged in some special kind of activity of greater value than Martha’s in preparation of his meal. Mary was listening to the Word of God–the divine person–a reality deeper than the human words falling upon her sense of hearing and resounding in her imagination. She was listening with her whole being. Her identity was melting into the presence of the Word of God within her. John, resting in the bosom of Jesus at the Last Supper, prayed in the same way that Mary of Bethany listened. He was not thinking or talking, but resting.

Contemplative prayer allows the hunger and thirst for God to well up. “On the last and great day of the Feast, Jesus stood up in the Temple and cried out with a loud voice: “If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. Out of his inmost being will flow rivers of living water. This he said of the Holy Spirit who was to be given to those who believe”‘ (John 7:37-38). By these words, we are urgently invited to put aside our preoccupations and come to Christ in the depth of our being. This movement and the experience which results from it are the basis for every genuine form of Christian spirituality.

The church as abbey: Why rituals are important

In the Celtic Christian abbey, the compound was open to all who needed food, lodging, or care. As the monks’ pagan neighbors entered the abbey, they were greeted with many familiar sights — monks or nuns preparing meals in the kitchen, stacking wood for the fire, copying manuscripts, or working in the fields.

But, they also encountered the unfamiliar — strange rituals like making the sign of the cross, breaking bread and sharing a common cup, kneeling, bowing, and prostrating oneself.

Learning How to Be A ChristianThese were the rituals of Christianity, practiced by monks and nuns in the abbey, and taught to their pagan neighbors who wished to become Christians. Pagans literally learned how Christians acted by seeing, practicing, and repeating these strange behaviors. These behaviors became so ingrained in the life of the convert that they became part of his or her daily routine.

When an Irish convert needed courage, instead of an incantation from their druid past, they prayed a prayer to Christ. The famous breastplate of St. Patrick is the most outstanding example of this type of praying. The Carmina Gaedelica is a collection of everyday prayers from Celtic life — prayers for starting the fire, washing one’s face, sweeping the house, and working at the loom. (I’ve got a copy in my office if you want a copy.)

Other rituals, such as making the sign of the cross, became automatic responses to the happenstances of primitive life. Celtic Christians learned through words, patterns, and symbols what made them distinct from their pagan Druid kinsmen in actions and belief.

Loss of Rituals in the Seeker Church

Fast-forward to the 20th and 21st century. The “seeker service” model suggests that people come to Christ most easily if we remove “religious” symbols. This strategy works well to attract new people to “seeker sensitive” churches, but unlike the Celtic abbeys, some seeker churches never introduce new Christians to the actions, behaviors and symbols that signify the Christian faith.

Many church buildings are constructed without baptistries or baptismal fonts because baptism is practiced in swimming pools and lakeshores. Communion Is not observed in many seeker churches, or it is relegated to a special service outside the regular pattern of worship. All of this is done because it is thought that symbols and rituals obscure the gospel message. But just the opposite is true.

The Importance of Ritual

Rituals, practices, and symbols are important because they give us external behaviors to express internal commitments. We learn how to “act like a Christian” by doing the things Christians do. So, new converts participate in baptism, receive communion, and are catechized as part of learning how we act in this strange new community called the church.

Without ritual, patterns, and symbols our practice of the Christian faith is stripped of actions that cause us to remember and draw strength from our interior faith. Rituals give us behaviors, individually and corporately, that reinforce our common beliefs. The missional congregation particularly seeks to be distinctly Christian in its behaviors, symbols, and practices — whether ancient or contemporary — because that is part of what we do as a contrast society.