ICONS, AN ENCOUNTER...
What is the meaning of the word
“Icon”
Though the apostle Paul has never known the pictures which
we call Icons, he did indicate their deepest meaning. Paul wrote his letters
in Greek, and concerning Christ he says: ‘Christ is the "eikon" (=icon=image=likeness) of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). By
these words Paul means that God has become visible in Christ, in other
words that Christ is the visible, tangible expression of God’s own
being. One of the great basic principles of eastern iconography is that
only what has adopted visibility, can be depicted. In this view it is
impossible to depict God, for nobody has ever seen God. In Christ’s
incarnation, however, God has become visible, which makes it possible
to make an image, an Icon of Christ. This possibility of being depicted
also extends to the angels and the saints who followed Christ’s footsteps.
The Trinity, however, can only be depicted in a symbolic way in the shape
of three angels.
Defining the Icon
The Greek word ‘eikon’ does not really give a
complete picture of the essence of the Icon. An Icon is more than an ‘image’
or ‘likeness’; it wants to represent part of the essence of
what is depicted, in fact to be the essence itself. To the orthodox believer
the Christ, the Mother of God or the Saint themselves are present in the
Icon. The essential difference from the material image or figure in our
Western Church is that the latter has a side, a back. An Icon has not.
A mirror has not either. The Icon, only having a front, is something like
a mirror, a gateway, an open window. Therefore, an Icon is sometimes also
called a ‘Window on the Absolute’.
When we want to define an Icon, we will above all say that it is a religious
object from the Orthodox Church. It is portable and movable, and therefore
limited in size and weight. It is mostly painted on wood, but may also
be made from hard material like metal, ivory, stone etc. It is a sacral
object, meant for public or private worship. But the Icon is first and
foremost a liturgical object which is to be considered as a means to call
up Christ, the Mother of God and the Saints through their representation,
to bring them closer to the people, and to help the praying believers
to turn to God. As Icons are considered to be tangible presences of God’s
grace in the person or the mystery depicted, they are surrounded with
moving care and veneration. The orthodox believer, therefore, speaks of
holy Icons. As ‘theology in pictures’ it says in colour and
makes present what the gospel proclaims in words.
The meditative power of
the Icon and private devotion.
Religious psychology classifies the Icon among the most
essential needs of Orthodox people . At baptism already the believer receives
a blessed Icon of the saint whose name he/she bears. When people marry,
the parents bless the recently married couple with Icons, and when a person
dies, people take leave not only of the deceased but also of his Icon.
A metal Icon is often fastened to the tomb. The Icons for private devotion
are extremely varied. In addition to all the themes of the redemptive
Icons, the whole calendar of saints may be drawn upon. Orthodox believers
have always attached great importance to Icons. In their homes they put
them in the most important place: called krasny ugol, the “red”
or “clean” corner. In all their needs these people will turn
to their Icons, speaking out loud and saying improvised prayers. They
will tell them all their cares in prayers for help, because Icons serve
to make people reflect and come into contact with the invisible God and
with the invisible Saints.
Rules and prescriptions
for the icon painters
Since the dogmas of the Orthodox Church are essentially
unchangeable, the Icons are unchangeable too in the representation of
this dogma. Therefore rules and prescriptions arose, which in 1551 were
fixed, and from which the icon painter is not allowed to deviate. The
Eastern Church demands him/her to comply with a whole of canons, at the
same time guidelines and exhortations, which guarantee a continuity and
a unity in doctrine across the borders. Thus the dress of the personages
is determined, just as the features of the saints and many other details.
Everything has a symbolic meaning, everything is specified. The colours
may not just be chosen at random. Each colour has its own meaning: red
is the colour of the divine, purple is the imperial colour, blue is the
colour of what is human, green the colour of youth, fertility and security,
white the colour of the divine light, gold (which is often replaced with
yellow) is the radiation of the divine glare of the sun.
Though the art of icon painting is a traditional one, sufficient room
is left for the artist to produce a creation of his own. The scene in
Icons is generally kept simple, so that the viewer is not distracted by
inessentials. This in contrast to Western religious art, which often diverts
the attention to itself
The material of the icon painter
Specimens of vegetable life, the mineral kingdom and the
animal kingdom contribute to the realisation of the Icons which represent
the event of salvation. These materials are very significant. For together
they express that the tangible, material creation takes part in the redemption
that was brought about by the Incarnation.
The material creation of the Icons
1. The wooden panel.
The most diverse kinds of wood are used for Icons. The choice depends
on the region. The wood should, at any rate, meet with one condition:
it should be free from resin. Especially lime wood is perfectly all right
for practising iconography.
When the wood is completely dry, panels are sawn out from it, which must
be free from knots. The back of these panels could be provided with wedges
or strong laths (in Russian: sponki}. They prevent the wood from warping.
To curb the warping of the wood, the back of the panel is impregnated
with wax. Especially when following the Russian method, in most cases
a flat surface is hollowed out from the centre to provide a slightly raised
border of 2 to 5 cm. This deepened central section is named kovtsjeg in
Russian, and there the preparatory drawing will be made. The representation
finding itself a bit farther away from the beholder than the border, a
certain aloofness is suggested, which the believer adopts with regard
to the sacred representation, and so the raised border serves to keep
the sacred image in a kind of shrine.
2. The preparation of the panel and the preparatory drawing.
The sacred image cannot just be painted on the bare wood. With the help
of a glue solution first a sheet of linen or cotton cloth is fixed to
the panel. The cloth facilitates a better adhesion for the primer (in
Russian: levkas) that will be applied later (about 15 layers), and avoids
all damages to the painting like cracks, which are caused by the possible
warping of the wood. Once the levkas has become thoroughly hardened, this
foundation is polished into a level, smooth and matt whole. Now the panel
is ready to put the preparatory drawing on.
The preparatory drawing draws its inspiration from a book or an older
Icon. The outlines of the drawing have an almost sacred significance.
They reflect the traditionally maintained archetypes. Within these
lines the icon painter may allow him/herself a certain liberty, for the
rest he/she has to stick to the studies and sketches as these are to be
found in the books that are provided for this purpose.
3. The painting.
The means which are used for making an Icon, must be natural products
created by God, and the various earth-colours which, with a natural product,
egg yolk, are worked up into colours ready for use, are based on an age-long
tradition known as TEMPERA painting.
First the halo and if required certain areas of the personages too, are
gilded with gold leaf. The background too is now and then reproduced in
gold leaf. Apart from being gilded, the background may also be in yellow
or in red ochre, or have a white, green or blue colour.
The icon painter next starts doing the ground work. Thus the garments,
the hands, the face and any possible attributes are given the colour desired.
The following step consists in giving colour and shape to the representation,
in doing which various processes are pursued in a very precise order.
4. The completion.
After being painted the Icon is given its name, which is connected with
its example. This name lends a radiating power to the Icon and also a
sacred character. For an Icon is only a real Icon when it is provided
with an inscription of the title, mostly at the top, and when, if necessary,
all the person who are in the Icon are identified by smaller inscriptions.
This is done principally in Church Slavonic, usually with those splendid
angular letters.
The last phase of the treatment is the protective layer. After the painting
has been drying for some time, it is coated with OLIFA, a mixture of linseed
oil and all sorts of resins, which is spread over de Icon. This layer
protects the Icon and gives a greater transparency, warmth and depth to
the whole, and makes the colours splendid in tone.
5. The blessing.
The whole process of making the Icon, from the very beginning to its completion,
is a liturgical activity. Therefore it is desirable for the Icon to be
blessed. Then they will remind us fully of their eternal value.
The ‘writing’ of
Icons
In icon painting it is customary to speak of ‘writing
an Icon’ as it is a witness to a belief put in writing, which speaks
to us via the Icons.
Source: Lucienne Lipkens-Janssen, Neeroeteren
|