What do you think?
Rate this book
A Guide to Imagery #10
Icons and Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church
An icon (from the Greek word "eikon," "image") is a wooden panel painting of a holy person or scene from Orthodox Christianity, the religion of the Byzantine Empire that is practiced today mainly in Greece and Russia. It was believed that these works acted as intermediaries between worshipers
and the holy personages they depicted. Their pictorial language is stylized and primarily symbolic, rather than literal and narrative. Indeed, every attitude, pose, and color depicted in an icon has a precise meaning, and their painters--usually monks--followed prescribed models from iconographic
manuals.
The goal of this book is to catalogue the vast heritage of images according to iconographic type and subject, from the most ancient at the Monastery of Saint Catherine in the Sinai to those from Greece, Constantinople, and Russia. Chapters focus on the role of icons in the Orthodox liturgy and on
common iconic subjects, including the fathers and saints of the Eastern Church and the life of Jesus and his followers. As with other volumes in the Guide to Imagery series, this book includes a wealth of color illustrations in which details are called out for discussion.
and the holy personages they depicted. Their pictorial language is stylized and primarily symbolic, rather than literal and narrative. Indeed, every attitude, pose, and color depicted in an icon has a precise meaning, and their painters--usually monks--followed prescribed models from iconographic
manuals.
The goal of this book is to catalogue the vast heritage of images according to iconographic type and subject, from the most ancient at the Monastery of Saint Catherine in the Sinai to those from Greece, Constantinople, and Russia. Chapters focus on the role of icons in the Orthodox liturgy and on
common iconic subjects, including the fathers and saints of the Eastern Church and the life of Jesus and his followers. As with other volumes in the Guide to Imagery series, this book includes a wealth of color illustrations in which details are called out for discussion.
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
19 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 30, 2022
So if you are reading your Dostoevsky or Tolstoy for a literature class, you may run across characters sitting at an icon bench or fretting hysterically over their family icons, and such. Unless you are familiar with the Orthodox Christian religions, you probably are not sure what an icon is. But the idea is universal and timeless.
The icon is a stylized religious painting on a block of wood. But beyond that simple description, it is a mandala, a tool for meditation and enlightenment. It is like prayer beads or devotive candles, a physical prompt for prayer. It is also a like a vanity mantle, a symbol of one's own personality and values. The icon is many things that can be recognized across cultures and faith, but is a particular tradition among the Orthodox.
What makes the icon fascinating for me is that they are visual puzzles. A true icon is not just a mass-produced print of a blue-eyed hippie Jesus smiling at you from a frame on Grandma's dresser. Icons are created with ancient techniques and themes to convey universal truths. They contain codes to study and contemplate.
What does a red cloth draped across the background buildings and the green platform in the foreground represent? Why are the robes of a saint highlighted in white, and why is his beard flowing symmetrically? Why does the subject have a particular facial expression? What does the position of the hands mean? Why are the mathematical proportions of a figure perfectly aligned in a spiral?
Each icon is a representation of a story, a painting of an event or an encapsulation of the life of a legendary figure. But the way each painting is created tells a deeper story . The icon challenges the contemplative to sink deeper into the fractal, into a deeper level of awareness, of prayer, of being.
Far from being an exhaustive survey, this book excluded some very inspirational examples, such as the icon of the Inexhaustible Chalice, venerated by those who believe in it's powers to heal those suffering from addiction. But there are some beautiful selections here, some more famous than others. My favorite has always been the Christ Pantokrator, with it's depiction of an asymmetrical Jesus sternly gazing through you with one uncanny eye that would be sure to drive the narrator of Poe's "Tell Tale Heart" insane.
This book is merely a visual introduction to iconography. It reproduces about 200 famous historical icons with a brief description of the subject, the date and author of it's creation, it's present location, and it's context in Christian faith. Each image has diagrams pointing to various details of the icon to explain some of the techniques, symbolism, and codes utilized in the work. As such, the book does try to cram in a lot of information into small pages, which then reduces the size of the actual icon, reducing your ability to really soak in the beauty of these examples of fine Art. As it stands, you really can't get a full sense of the majesty of these paintings outside of their usual environment, as they are often guilded so as to glimmer in the light of oil lamps or candles.
As an introductory coffee table book, the analysis of each icon is very cursory and superficial. Those who are looking for a deeper exploration of iconography will be left with more questions than answers. But if you are just wanting to dip your toes into this unique tradition, this is a great place to start.
Colorful, well-organized, and information-efficient, this is your gateway into an often overlooked art form no matter your own religious background or belief.
"The need to have icon before one's eyes arises from the concrete religious feeling that is not satisfied with only spiritual contemplation, but also seeks an immediate, sensory proximity, as is natural for man, who is made up of body and soul."--Sergei Bulgakov
The icon is a stylized religious painting on a block of wood. But beyond that simple description, it is a mandala, a tool for meditation and enlightenment. It is like prayer beads or devotive candles, a physical prompt for prayer. It is also a like a vanity mantle, a symbol of one's own personality and values. The icon is many things that can be recognized across cultures and faith, but is a particular tradition among the Orthodox.
What makes the icon fascinating for me is that they are visual puzzles. A true icon is not just a mass-produced print of a blue-eyed hippie Jesus smiling at you from a frame on Grandma's dresser. Icons are created with ancient techniques and themes to convey universal truths. They contain codes to study and contemplate.
What does a red cloth draped across the background buildings and the green platform in the foreground represent? Why are the robes of a saint highlighted in white, and why is his beard flowing symmetrically? Why does the subject have a particular facial expression? What does the position of the hands mean? Why are the mathematical proportions of a figure perfectly aligned in a spiral?
Each icon is a representation of a story, a painting of an event or an encapsulation of the life of a legendary figure. But the way each painting is created tells a deeper story . The icon challenges the contemplative to sink deeper into the fractal, into a deeper level of awareness, of prayer, of being.
Far from being an exhaustive survey, this book excluded some very inspirational examples, such as the icon of the Inexhaustible Chalice, venerated by those who believe in it's powers to heal those suffering from addiction. But there are some beautiful selections here, some more famous than others. My favorite has always been the Christ Pantokrator, with it's depiction of an asymmetrical Jesus sternly gazing through you with one uncanny eye that would be sure to drive the narrator of Poe's "Tell Tale Heart" insane.
This book is merely a visual introduction to iconography. It reproduces about 200 famous historical icons with a brief description of the subject, the date and author of it's creation, it's present location, and it's context in Christian faith. Each image has diagrams pointing to various details of the icon to explain some of the techniques, symbolism, and codes utilized in the work. As such, the book does try to cram in a lot of information into small pages, which then reduces the size of the actual icon, reducing your ability to really soak in the beauty of these examples of fine Art. As it stands, you really can't get a full sense of the majesty of these paintings outside of their usual environment, as they are often guilded so as to glimmer in the light of oil lamps or candles.
As an introductory coffee table book, the analysis of each icon is very cursory and superficial. Those who are looking for a deeper exploration of iconography will be left with more questions than answers. But if you are just wanting to dip your toes into this unique tradition, this is a great place to start.
Colorful, well-organized, and information-efficient, this is your gateway into an often overlooked art form no matter your own religious background or belief.
"The need to have icon before one's eyes arises from the concrete religious feeling that is not satisfied with only spiritual contemplation, but also seeks an immediate, sensory proximity, as is natural for man, who is made up of body and soul."--Sergei Bulgakov
March 22, 2020
Initial impressions:
What an excellent resource on the art of Eastern iconography! I looked for a book to deepen my knowledge of the artwork in my church (Saint Constantine's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Minneapolis, MN).
I remember a day (I must have been 14 or 15 years old - a *very* long time ago), when my friends and I were waiting to go to confession - one kid (a keen observer and a quick wit) asked me if I ever wondered why the infant Jesus was about to lose his sandal in the icon of the Virgin Mary at the side altar of the church.
Well, I wondered about it on and off over the years, especially when I saw the same icon (with the "slipping sandal") in other churches. I had pretty much forgotten this detail until last month, when I had the opportunity to give a brief tour of the artwork in our church to a group of visitors. I took a look at the icon, and realized to my sudden panic that I still didn't know the answer to this. Mercifully, none of the people on the tour noticed this (or at least, none asked about it). I resolved to find out, and settled on this book as a likely source of wisdom. It did not disappoint on this detail.
I still have a bunch to learn: for instance, the examples of this icon (The Virgin of the Passion) provided in the book all show Mary clothe in red; the icon in our church shows her in blue. What is the significance of the difference? By the way - the cover image of the book is an example of this very icon (though you can't see the sandal slipping from Jesus's foot).
As you can see, I'm really a novice in this area. Any additional resources you can suggest would be greatly appreciated!
I highly recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in this particular area of art history.
What an excellent resource on the art of Eastern iconography! I looked for a book to deepen my knowledge of the artwork in my church (Saint Constantine's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Minneapolis, MN).
I remember a day (I must have been 14 or 15 years old - a *very* long time ago), when my friends and I were waiting to go to confession - one kid (a keen observer and a quick wit) asked me if I ever wondered why the infant Jesus was about to lose his sandal in the icon of the Virgin Mary at the side altar of the church.
Well, I wondered about it on and off over the years, especially when I saw the same icon (with the "slipping sandal") in other churches. I had pretty much forgotten this detail until last month, when I had the opportunity to give a brief tour of the artwork in our church to a group of visitors. I took a look at the icon, and realized to my sudden panic that I still didn't know the answer to this. Mercifully, none of the people on the tour noticed this (or at least, none asked about it). I resolved to find out, and settled on this book as a likely source of wisdom. It did not disappoint on this detail.
I still have a bunch to learn: for instance, the examples of this icon (The Virgin of the Passion) provided in the book all show Mary clothe in red; the icon in our church shows her in blue. What is the significance of the difference? By the way - the cover image of the book is an example of this very icon (though you can't see the sandal slipping from Jesus's foot).
As you can see, I'm really a novice in this area. Any additional resources you can suggest would be greatly appreciated!
I highly recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in this particular area of art history.
February 24, 2014
I love picture books and this one was so interesting on many levels. It had first class art, fascinating call outs on most of the pictures so you could begin to grasp the symbolism, and effectively linked them to the way they aid the Eastern Orthodox Church in worship. As well, naturally, this led to helping me too in inspiration, contemplation, and worship.
Getty Museum produced this book and they have a long series on a variety of art topics, both secular and religious. They are well worth looking into if you, like me, also like picture books.
Getty Museum produced this book and they have a long series on a variety of art topics, both secular and religious. They are well worth looking into if you, like me, also like picture books.
February 12, 2012
Very nice "field guide" style book, with hundreds of images annotated with varying degrees of explanation.
The one thing I was looking for & couldn't find was a concise guide to the symbolism of colored clothing in icons and perhaps a few other common iconographical conventions, gathered in a few pages.
The one thing I was looking for & couldn't find was a concise guide to the symbolism of colored clothing in icons and perhaps a few other common iconographical conventions, gathered in a few pages.
June 19, 2008
A beautiful book explaining the different icons of the Eastern Orthodox faith. So many icons in it, with gorgeous color. There is one glitch, there are thin black lines pointing to areas that are being explained. This doesn't bother me but it may bother some people.
January 24, 2013
Beautiful book with great images. A great introduction to the subject.
March 20, 2016
This is a beautiful art book of Eastern Orthodox icons, with emphasis on the Russian tradition. The commentary is from the viewpoint of faith, not art history. The format is small for the purpose.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews