One Icon Resembles Another

Almost all icons portray biblical characters or scenes. Alternatively, they may recall medieval saints, faithful believers and martyrs, or current saints. First-time observers often notice that one icon is very like another - oh perhaps some differences in color or interpretation of detail, but overall they duplicate other icons of the same theme. A Western mind might immediately think "plagiarism" or if not that, at least "lack of creativity."

PAINTED COPIES

Here are a few examples of what I mean. The original - an icon of the Archangel Michael. It was painted in Constantinople in the 14th Century, and is on display in the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens.

The copy - an icon painted by Jackie in the UK in 2010. It's clearly a copy, although painted in a smaller size, with different materials, and in brighter colors (though the original was bright once).

Here is another icon. It shows Christ leading the disciples up the mountain, his transfiguration (glowing brightly), his conference with Elijah and Moses, his disciples being confused and afraid, and finally Jesus leading them down the mountain. This is a school icon - a teaching tool. It is in my collection.

It's called the Transfiguration.

Here is another, much more famous, and much "better" version of this same icon. However they differ in style and execution, theologically and devotionally they serve the same purpose. The characters shown are the same; the event is the same.

Here is a third version of the same icon - in progress - being painted as I write by Teresa Harrison.

Good icons are intentionally copied from previous works. As they draw and paint, iconographers are duplicating the layout, design, colors and so forth of an earlier icon. This is Orthodoxy and tradition, not plagiarism. Here is a pattern drawing of the Transfiguration icon, from a reference book used by iconographers.

MECHANICAL COPIES

With modern technologies, it is possible to produce inexpensive printed icons. Icons can be printed on paper, foam board, canvas, or other material. You might argue that these copies are less "an original work of art" than a painted icon on a gesso-coated board, but it would be wrong to say that they cannot serve a liturgical purpose in the lives of those who display or venerate them.

We have decided to make some copies of the icons that we have been painting, for several reasons. First, to recall the year-long project. Second, to share the joy of making these pieces among our small community of iconographers. We know those who commissioned them will benefit from having the originals in their presence. Third, to offer copies to people who are interested in owning a printed icon.

It's not easy to photograph icons (new ones especially), because of the intense reflections from the gilded areas. It can confuse the camera and cause various problems. Notice the modern icon below and the effect of the gold leaf compared to the painted areas.

So we went to get some professional help with this challenge, knowing we had large, valuable objects that would be getting completed, one at a time, over a period of many months.

The copies we have made (with the aid of Chrome Digital, our local graphic arts experts) are based on photographs taken in their studio under identical conditions. The digital images are adjusted and prepared with Photoshop.

Eventually they are printed on canvas, then stretched over a wooden frame. Here are the first six icons. These images are low-resolution versions of those used to create the printed copies.

This icon portrays Christ in Gethsemane

They differ slightly from the real icons because we wanted an identical border of a consistent color on each of them. These are wrapped around the frame. And of course the reflections and colors of the gold are now fixed, whereas on the real icons the light is always playing on the gold.

This is the Crucifixion

You may notice that some of the icons have a beveled edge on the outside of the gilded area. This is meant to look three-dimensional, and it does. But in fact it is a trick played on your eyes by the light on the gold. The board is actually flat. We rub the gold leaf with cotton balls in a special way, which causes the beveled look.

This is the Descent from the Cross

This particular set of icons were chosen by the church that asked Teresa to create them. She created the outline drawings in sizes they wanted, and adjusted the images and colors to create a consistent look - so they look like a set together. You will have to judge for yourself how well that was achieved.

This is the Resurrection

This is the Ascension

The final icon is Christ Enthroned

PS - there are four more underway.

How to Accumulate Icons

This blog describes my personal collecting methods. Yours may vary, but you should be able to learn some things from my experience. I am not Orthodox nor Russian, so I had no background in this form of sacred art, or indeed in any form of visual arts.

I started by buying a few icons, then I read books about them. I scoured the Internet. I went to museums and looked in shops. I have found a few people who love icons, and some of them have become good friends.

I've been able to spend time with icons - in person, Internet, and museums. And I have spent time corresponding with other icon lovers - mostly dealers but also some collectors.

Icons are rare enough in the United States that you don't often find them in retail stores or the average antique shop. Those that I have seen tend to be more sentimental Western images, or cheap prints laminated onto a board. This is a page from a book that I put onto a scrap of wood, to go into a crypt as a memorial for a family member. In the photo it looks old. In person you would see that it is not.

SOURCES

In my experience, the main choices for purchasing Greek or Russian icons are these:

• Specialist Dealer in Icons (via website or in person)
• From a Tourist Shop in the Holy Land, or Turkey, or ...

• Traditional Auction House or Specialist Auction
• Internet auction sources such as eBay
• Private party sale
• Directly from an iconographer
• Mail order catalog (new or mechanically-copied icons)

Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the great things about wandering / browsing through a good dealer's shop is that you see things you were not expecting. Like this carving (not an icon) which I found in a church antique / salvage shop (yes, they do take churches apart and resell everything).

And there you get to meet people who can tell you more about what you want to learn. Not just the dealers themselves, but sometimes their family members, or other customers who are in the shop. A danger is that you might want to buy something.

That can involve currency exchange, shipping costs and weeks of worry when you get home and your icon has not arrived. Or squeezing the icon into your suitcase and then having to explain it to the customs and immigration officers.

It's possible to do the same thing via the web but it takes more time and persistence, and many more emails to accomplish what a short visit can do. Here is one of my dealer friends showing a beautiful newly-painted icon that he received for his 40th birthday.

If you can find a real iconographer, have a long talk with her or him. They will know sources for locating new or old icons, although I suspect active collectors will have more to say on the subject.

I commissioned this icon from Jackie (pictured above) after meeting her at a church in England.

DEALERS

I've purchased one or more icons from each of these dealers:

The Temple Gallery in London

The Russian Store in West Palm Beach and New York City

Motka in Pennsylvania and eBay

Russian Icon in Estonia

Russian Icons in Lithuania

Icon Gallery Moenius in Regensburg, Germany

Iconastas in London

and no doubt from some others that I have forgotten (sorry). In addition, I have bought a few directly from iconographers (for example, Aidan Hart Icons in England), and some from other collectors.

CHURCHES

When you travel, try to visit churches and ask politely if you can look around. You will learn a lot about the kind of icons they have, and how church icons compare to home icons. They might not invite photography, so ask first if it's ok.

Holy Virgin Cathedral, San Francisco, CA

Saints Helen and Constantine Greek Orthodox Church, San Marcos, CA

MUSEUMS

Other sources of inspiration for me include museums that feature icons. The J. Paul Getty Museum has occasional displays of fantastic icons, such as the icons from St. Catherine's on Mount Sinai, and other related religious art from Europe. Here I am admiring an Italian work at the Getty.

This is a 14th century ivory carving in the style of the Dormition of the Virgin icon, 

from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London June 2013

The view shown below is the main floor of the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, MA.

On a visit several years ago, I was able to meet Gordon Lankton, the founder of the museum (below), who is himself a real collector. The museum is essentially his personal collection from 20+ years of searching for icons.

When you visit museums to get a sense of the things they collect, you can see how their needs differ from what a person might buy. This is the Timken Museum in San Diego. I am fortunate to live close by, so I have often enjoyed their icons (and other art).

EXHIBITS

If you see a notice of special icon shows or exhibitions, try to attend one. You may see icons that you wouldn't ever imagine might exist. Your eyes will be opened.

Like the fantastic 2-sided icon that appears in the photos above and below, which I saw in New York City in September 2012. This exhibit was put together by icon dealer Dennis Easter (shown at podium and smiling below).

Painting Icons for Others to Use

Teresa Harrison, an icon class teacher, received a commission last year to create a series of 10 large icons for a church. Several people were invited by Teresa to assist with elements of this commission. I'd like to go through the steps in creating one icon, over a period of about 6 months. The icon is entitled The Resurrection, and shows Jesus breaking down the gates of Hades and freeing Adam, Eve and other saints and prophets.

So you won't have to wait until the end to see what it looks like, here is the finished product.

The general flow is the same as the previous blog post on painting a small icon for personal devotional use.  As you read through this, you can click on any photo to enlarge it.

PREPARATION

The icon boards were cut to shape, sanded many times, then coated with gesso. 

Then a layer of linen cloth was applied, then more gesso, and finally wet and dry sanding.

The boards may not seem too interesting to photograph, but here they are.
Pure white on black counter.

We transferred the image outlines onto the large board with the aid of carbon paper.
My glasses show the scale of this icon. It's approx 20 x 28 inches.
Next we started to fill in blocks of colors:

Carbon Black, Storm Blue, Iron Red Oxide, etc.

I worked on this icon for a number of days. This sequence shows my progress.

Here you can see some of the other icons that are also underway. 

Now I am starting to apply the lighter colors on the robes of Adam and Jesus. 

Notice that the coffins from which Adam and Eve emerge are mostly complete. 

Now the first layers of Jesus' garment are finished.

At some points, Barb stepped in and worked when I could not. 

Here she is painting the foreground and later she did the mountains.

This sharing of labor makes the project go more smoothly.

Here's what our Jo Sonja's paint looks like. It dries with a matte finish.

This is how it looks when we put the first blob on the pallette and begin to mix.
We then thin the paint with water - it is very translucent so takes many coats to cover the gesso.

You can see the blue arching around Jesus.

Red goes where the halos will eventually be gilded.

Red goes onto the background and edges. This is not going to be seen when the icon is finished.
The bright color shines through any gaps in the gold so we can see where any touch-up is needed.

I painted all the bolts and locks which Jesus broke when conquering Hades.

The foreground is getting detailed and shaded.

The coffins are detailed. The mountains have texture and definition. 

Some of the robes are finished. The faces have been started.

The mandorla has been painted over to improve the blues and whites.

I missed photographing the final painting which was done by Teresa.

The Resurrection was then gilded and labeled.

This is a another icon in the series but it shows you the gilding step.

Here's how it finally came out.

And here is a duplicate copy on canvas shown together with the Ascension Icon copy.

It's customary to have the icon blessed by a priest.

The iconographers should pray with the icon before sending it on to its custodians.

So we did these things.

Here we are in the garden after the blessing.

Icons are painted to glorify Jesus, the Word made Flesh.