“Icon is the Window into the Kingdom of Heaven”: an Interview with the Head of the Icon Painting Workshop of St. Elisabeth Convent
The
Reverend Sergius Nezhbort, who is a priest of our Convent and the head of our
Icon Painting Studio, is our guest today. We are going to talk with him how he
became an icon painter; how the studio grew and developed; where its current
painters learned and where they teach now; how creativity and the canon in icon
painting work together; and a whole lot more.
How did you become an icon painter?
It’s hard
to say how I became an icon painter; I’m not sure I ever became one. First of
all, I had a dream. It just happened that when I came to the Church, the Lord
revealed himself to me through the icon. This event changed everything: I
started going to church and got baptised. The icon became my window into the
Kingdom of Heaven. I simply wanted to believe that there would be a day when I
would paint icons. At that time, I went to an arts school and learned to paint.
I entertained that dream for a long time but after a while I realised that it
was not going to happen: I didn’t have anyone who could teach me to paint icons
and any chance to acquire this skill. I had to forget about my dream for some
time. Five years later, that dream came true. I got involved in painting icons.
I’ve been doing my best to keep up with it since that time. However, I don’t
dare call myself an icon painter.
Can you tell us about the history of the Icon
Painting Studio?
It was in
the spring of 1999 that Larissa Nezhbort, Nun Lyudmila Leiko, and I founded the
Icon Painting Studio with the blessing of Father Andrew Lemeshonok. Each of us
had his or her own route to the icon painting. It was an audacious move
because, in spite of our motivation, we lacked icon painting skills and
everything else, too. We started from scratch. Little by little, new people
were joining, and the Studio began to grow. A lot has changed since then. We
didn’t know even the most basic things, such as how to cover an icon with gold
leaf or how to grind the paints. The surface of our first icons was like
sandpaper because we didn’t grind the paints properly. Today everything has
changed, of course. We didn’t have study guides and did not have the
opportunity to look at good samples that we have now. We only had several
books, albums from home bookshelves, and it wasn’t enough, to be honest. I took
a look at our old photos not long ago, and I was somewhat ashamed. Perhaps, it
was merely a stage in our development, and we had to go through that stage. Now
we are on a different level. When new people join, eager to learn how to paint
icons, they can get the answers to their questions, which we have tested on
ourselves. They can learn how to draw a sketch, how to cover the surface with
gold leaf, and how to use a sample. It will take our students only one month to
start using the methods that we had to experiment with for years.
Who did you learn from?
Archpriest
Igor Latushko gave us the first props. We all knew him and asked him about the
substantial, the inner workings of an icon, rather than just professional
advice. For example, he could clearly explain why this or that saint was
portrayed in a certain way and what the meaning and symbolise of an icon of a
certain feast was. It was necessary for us at that point because we were
professional artists but not icon painters. For me personally, it was crucial
to be helping Andrey Kozikov, a famous icon painter. As an apprentice in his
studio, I saw the work of an icon painter from within and saw how hard it was.
I couldn’t do a whole lot of things, but I could gesso icon boards, wash the
floor or the palette… I was very happy to contribute to this process. Now, when
I paint icons on my own, I realise that it would be much harder without that
experience. These were the two people who really helped me in the beginning. We
didn’t have specific teachers. Most likely, we learned from one another by
reading books, exploring iconographic samples, and praying. We visited
Archimandrite Zinon (Teodor) several times but I cannot claim that he was our
teacher. He was always welcoming, which was important for us at that time.
Well, you can learn a lot even if you simply look at his icons and see him
working.
How do you paint an icon?
Figuratively
speaking, an icon has the body, the soul, and the spirit, just like a human
being. It is always difficult to speak about the spiritual aspect and it is
much easier to speak about icon painting as a craft. An icon is painted in a
traditional fashion. We resolved from the outset that we would paint icons
using only traditional methods, as opposed to new technologies, modern paints
and primers. We use the methods known since ancient times. We paint on a dried
lime or pine board with the carved-out centre. The board is gessoed, i.e.
coated with several layers of primer, which consists of chalk and glue, until
it has a smooth and polished surface. Our paints are made of minerals and even
semi-precious stones, e.g., lazurite, malachite, etc. We paint icons based on
earlier samples. An icon painter looks at the sample and outlines the contours.
The background or the halo are then covered with gold leaf, and the icon
painter proceeds to paint the vestments and buildings, followed by hands and
faces. Lastly, the icon is finished with linseed oil. These are the main stages
but everyone follows them in a different way. As a rule, one’s soul and inner
life inadvertently reverberates in his or her painting. An icon is some kind of
a spiritual barometer that shows the inner state of the icon painter. If an
artist expresses himself in his work and enjoys seeing his skill reflected in
his picture, you will look at the icon like in a mirror and see your untruth.
It exposes you and makes you really sad. The difficulty of an icon painter’s
ministry is that, although you can clearly see that you’re unprepared, you’ve
got to keep on painting. The Lord helps through the icon. When the person faces
his own untruth, he is inclined to seek God in order to be transformed and live
according to God’s truth.
How should we treat printed icons?
An icon
is an icon regardless of how it is made: using paints or a printing press. If
an icon is made according to the rules and consecrated, it is sacred. Printed
icons may not always be to your personal liking but tastes differ, you know.
Praise God that everyone can have an icon in his or her home today because if
there were only painted icons, not everyone could afford them because they are
quite expensive. On the other hand, there is a negative side to it because
people in ancient times used to treat every image like a treasure, given that
not everyone can paint an icon, and if something is hard to make, then it is
perceived as more valuable. Nowadays, there are plenty of printed icons,
thousands of copies, and people unfortunately tend to lose the feeling of awe
that they used to have when they saw a painted icon.
What are the traditions that have influenced
your painting style?
It’s hard
to say. At first, we were inspired by Ancient Russian icons, such as the
paintings of Andrei Rublev and Dionysius. Currently, there are plenty of
resources for icon painters: books and papers on Byzantine icons and samples of
6th-century iconography are available and easily accessible. It is this
diversity that shapes one’s iconographic style. That is why we don’t have any
mainstream trend. Nevertheless, there are icon painters whose works set the standard,
so to say, and other icon painters in our Studio try to follow it. We are
grounded in contemporary iconography, too: for instance, the works by the icon
painters of Holy Trinity St Sergius Lavra. We follow the general directions of
contemporary iconographic art.
Please tell us a couple of words about
creativity in icon painting.
It’s a
philosophical conundrum. How do you define creativity and canon? Every person
has his own definition. The Greek word “canon” literally means a straight
stick, that is, it shows whether a line is straight or not. The canon is not a
set of rules: it is the language of the Church. You can perceive the canon as a
rigid scheme but you can also interpret unrestrained creativity as sickly. The
Lord breathed creativity into every human being. People are made in the image
of God the Creator. An icon is where God meets us humans. There is a human
being and there is God; an icon painter witnesses this encounter and paints an
icon. This is how a true icon appears, e.g., the Holy Trinity by Andrei Rublev.
It is evident that the icon of Holy Trinity is not a human fantasy, it’s the
highest level of creativity. It becomes part of the canon. The canon does not
emerge out of abstract and far-fetched theorizing. It appears at the crossroads
where God and human meet, and people who witness this encounter suddenly
realise that this is something that they can and should imitate. That is how
the canon is shaped. You cannot treat the canon as an unchangeable touchstone.
Today, we have to paint icons of newly-canonised saints. There aren’t any icons
of these holy men and women; but we have their photos, so we icon painters have
to deal with them in a creative way. After all, the Church is alive, and life
cannot be static.
Tell us about your students, please.
There are
people who are willing to engage with the icon. Some leave and some stay, it’s
like everywhere else in life. How does a tree grow? Some branches shoot out
leaves, and some wither away. That’s what it’s like in our studio, too. There
are people who attempt to serve God by painting icons, and we try to share our
experiences. We don’t think that we can rightfully call ourselves ‘teachers’
and them, ‘students’. We simply try to share something that we have learned.
Is there any difference between an icon
painter and an artist?
It
depends on the artist and the icon painter. If you compare Pablo Picasso and
Andrei Rublev, they are different, although each of them has certain
characteristics that cannot be compared. Not every artist must be an icon
painter because an icon painter is primarily a person who serves God. Icon
painting is an obedience in the Church. There are various obediences in the
Church: some people sing in the choir, some read the Gospel, and some wipe the
floor. All obediences are important, and you can’t say that one is better and
the other is worse. Every obedience is indispensable and necessary. As far as
the comparison between an artist and an icon painter is concerned, an icon
painter is necessary because people need new icons for new churches; whereas an
artist is also necessary because people are looking for beauty, and it doesn’t
always need to be limited to the church. I suppose, every artist feels God even
in the outside world: in nature, in other people, and in relationships. So I
believe that there is no conflict between an icon painter and an artist. They
simply have different tasks. An icon painter’s task is more specific.
Generally, I believe that everyone is an artist in a certain sense. You cannot
isolate one from the other.
What are the icons that you paint most often?
The face
of the Holy Saviour is the most frequently painted icon. It is the most
important icon, and therefore, most people want to have it in their homes. Same
with the icons of the Mother of God. Many people also want to have icons of
their namesake saints painted.
Is icon painting a collaborative art?
Sure.
Even if you look at it from the technical viewpoint: one person makes the
wooden board, another person covers it with gesso, yet another person plates it
with gold, and finally, yet another person paints the icon. Only if they work
together and in unity can the icon see the light of day. Every icon painter
must remember that everything he does is a reflection of the prayer of the
whole Church. The more eagerly people seek for God, the easier it is for us to
paint icons. If we turn to the history, the 15th century is the golden age of
icon painting. It was the time of a spiritual revival but later, in the time of
a spiritual crisis, it was more difficult for icon painters to work on the same
level. Judging by the number of new icon painting studios established in the
late 20th and the early 21st century, now is the time of a new spiritual
revival.
Icon
painters indicate the current state of humankind. It is important for people
who come to church and look at the icons to understand that the icons were not
created by a single individual. Icons are the result of many people’s prayer.
August 27, 2018
St.
Elisabeth Convent
