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A Contemporary Opus Sectile Icon
Last year, I promised our readers that I would try to create an opus sectile icon, that is an icon that joins different stones together to make an image. I recently had the chance to create something that is a mix of carving and mosaic and is probably as close as I am going to…
Continue reading »Russian Wooden Churches
For those readers interested in architecture or those interested in Russian Orthodox cultural heritage, the website by architect Richard Davies is a wonder. Davies stumbled across of set of postcards from 1911 that featured some old photos and drawings of wooden churches in Russia. Inspired by the postcards, Davies traveled to Russia in 2002 to…
Continue reading »The Lives of the Saints
This is post 1 of 3 in the series “Lives of the Saints” Nicholas Kotar thinks through how the often fantastical stories in the life of the saints can still be relevant and teach us about how the world exists even today in our materialist culture. The Lives of the Saints Lives of the Saints:…
Continue reading »Is “Write” Wrong?: A Discussion of Iconology Lingo
This is post 1 of 3 in the series “To Write or to Paint an Icon” Several contributors go over the common debate on whether one “writes” or “paints” an icon. Is “Write” Wrong?: A Discussion of Iconology Lingo A Symptom of Modern Blindness – Further Thoughts on the Phrase “To Write an Icon” From…
Continue reading »Notes From the Road: Review of “Heaven and Earth” Art of Byzantium at the National Gallery
The NYTimes review of “Heaven and Earth” at the National Gallery in Washington is piquant and enticing, but our readers deserve more detail: This is a generalist show. It is a good show for anyone new to Byzantium or if you already know of one of the show’s pieces and would like to see it…
Continue reading »Visual Heresy – An Evangelical On The Iconography of God The Father
My priest recently sent me a link to a talk (posted below) given by Matthew J. Milliner, an assistant professor of art history at Wheaton College, which was quite astounding to me. The talk tackles two subjects quite adroitly, two subjects, which Orthodox thinkers have addressed for some time now. Firstly he tackles what is being called…
Continue reading »Explore Orthodox Chant in Georgia
JUNE 17 – 29, 2014 Georgian Chant Tour This is the 9th tour that John Graham has organized to Georgian monasteries to experience their rare beauty. Graham fell in love with Georgian chant while at Princeton University and earned a PhD in musicology. He also fell in love with Georgia and now has a Georgian…
Continue reading »A New Cathedral for Montenegro – Thoughts on the Architecture
On Monday the primates and hierarchs of many nations gathered to consecrate a new cathedral in Podgorica, capital of Montenegro. Coverage of the grand event can be found on many news sites, but here I would like to reflect upon the building itself and its appointments. Construction of the cathedral began in 1993. It is…
Continue reading »A Painted Wooden Chalice Set
Historically in the Orthodox world, it must have been very common for chalice sets to be made of wood. Particularly in Russia, village churches would not have been able to afford vessels of fine metal, and essentially everything in an Old Russian village was made of wood. Little survives of the simple ecclesiastical furnishings and…
Continue reading »Authority on The Right. Power on The Left.
This is post 3 of 3 in the series “The Right and Left Hand in Iconography” Jonathan Pageau examines the recurrence of left and right hand symbolism in traditional art and how they create a pattern of engagement in the world. Mercy on The Right. Rigor on The Left St-Peter on The Right. St-Paul on…
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