The Catalog of Good Deeds: Iconography and Icons

Showing posts with label Iconography and Icons. Show all posts

In some localities, this icon is also called The Icon of the Mother of God – the Multiplier of Wheat.

The Icon of the Mother of God, named “Prosperess of Loaves” (“Sporitel’nitsa Khlebov”), was written at the blessing of the starets-elder of the Visitation Optina wilderness monastery, the priest-schemamonk Amvrosii (Ambrosii) (1812 -1891).

Father Amvrosii, a great Russian ascetic of the XIX Century, was ardent with a childlike faith towards the Mother of God. He in particular revered all the feastdays of the Mother of God and on these days he greatly increased his prayer. With the icon, “Prosperess of Loaves”, Father Amvrosii blessed the Shamordinsk Convent established in honour of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, and founded by him not far from the Optina monastery.

On this icon the Mother of God is depicted sitting upon the clouds, and Her hands are extended in blessing. Beneath – is a field of grain, and on it amidst the grass and flowers stand and lay sheaves of rye. Starets Amvrosii himself decreed the day of celebration – 15 October, and called the image “Prosperess of Loaves”, indicating by this, that the Most Holy Mother of God – “is an Helper for people in their labours for the acquiring of their daily bread”.

Before his blessed death, Father Amvrosii ordered a large quantity of photo-replicas of this icon and distributed and sent them off to his spiritual children. For the singing of an akathist before the holy image, the starets composed a particular response: “Rejoice, Thou Full-of-Grace, the Lord is with Thee! Grant unto us unworthy ones the dew of Thy grace and the showing forth of Thine mercy!”

The day of burial of Father Amvrosii happened on 15 October – the feastday of the icon. The first miracle from the holy icon was witnessed in 1891, when throughout Russia was a famine because of crop-failure, but in the Kaluzh district and on the fields of the Shamordinsk Convent grain was produced. In 1892, already after the death of Father Amvrosii, his attendant Ivan Feodorovich Cherepanov sent a copy from the icon to the Pyatnitsk women’s monastery in Voronezh district. In this locale there was a drought and famine threatened, but soon after a molieben served before the icon, “Prosperess of Loaves”, it rained and ended the drought.

Adapted from the Menologion, texts translated Fr. S. Janos.

Source: https://dormitioninconcord.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/the-icon-of-the-mother-of-god-the-multiplier-of-wheat/

People often ask a lot of questions concerning the icons created by the icon-painters of St. Elisabeth Convent and iconography in general. Why does it take so much time to make an icon? Why is the process so complex? What are the materials used? Finally, why have handpainted icons always been so expensive to create?

We have prepared an article for you, which will show you all the stages of painting icons in St. Elisabeth Convent’s studio and will help you to understand why this process is so labor-intensive.

An icon is a visible image of the Holy Savior, the Mother of God, or the saints whom we venerate, whose example we are inspired by, and whom we try to emulate. As we ask our heavenly patrons for help and intercession, we instinctively want to pray in front of their icons. We look at the images, and it makes our prayer more personal, profound, and heartfelt.

When we were building our first church in St. Elisabeth Convent, we naturally needed some icons for that church. With the blessing of the spiritual father of the Convent, we decided to open our own Icon Painting Studio. Our nuns and lay brothers and sisters, who had had artistic training, acquired icon painting skills, and their first task was painting icons for the iconostasis of the lower church in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The more icons they painted, the greater their skill and expertise was. Little by little, the icon painters mastered the ancient methods and traditions. Soon enough, the Convent was filled with the icons painted by our own painters, and at that point they began taking orders to paint icons for churches in Belarus and abroad.

Icons have been a symbol of wealth since ancient times because all icons were painted and therefore were quite costly. Icon painting is a special process that takes quite a lot of time and requires certain skills. Beside that, an icon painter has to follow a distinct set of rules that has been shaped over many centuries. Our Icon Painting Studio mostly draws the inspiration for their icons from the 12th-14th century Byzantine and Russian samples.

It must be noted that icon painting is not just the art of putting paints on a wooden surface but a church mystery of some kind, which influences the icon painter, captivates his or her own life, and transforms it. There is a prayerful connection that appears between the icon painter and the saint whose face is being painted on wood.

There are several stages of painting an icon:

1. You will need a wooden board to paint an icon on. That board is made of several planks glued together using a special method. Once the wide board dries up, it is polished. The wooden base made of several planks isn’t deformed with time, unlike a single piece of wood. Then, a special indent, known as kovcheg, is carved out in the center of the wooden board.

2. A linen canvas is glued to the front side of the board.

3. The board is covered with five or six layers of gesso – a mixture of hide glue and chalk.

4. Once the gesso dries up, the surface is polished.

5. The next stage engages the icon painter directly: it’s the choice of the right sample.

6. The icon painter draws a pencil sketch of the icon.

7. The contour is embossed.

8. The surface is plated with gold leaf. Gold leaf is the name of thin sheets of gold that are attached to the surface covered with an oily substance. Gold-plating is mainly used for halos and backgrounds.

9. The gold halos are covered with shellac. Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, which lives on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is used to protect the gold-plated surfaces.

10. The icon painter picks up the colors and prepares a special paint called tempera, which is made by hand from powdered minerals and semi-precious gemstones mixed with egg yolk.

11. Finally, the icon painter starts to paint the icon in full color. First, he paints the vestments, the landscape, and the buildings if necessary.

12. Then, the icon painter paints the face, the hands, and the feet of the saint.

13. When the icon is almost finished, the vestments of the saints are highlighted by the so-called assist, i.e., thin strokes of liquid gold.

14. The icon painter makes the inscriptions of the name and the heavenly rank of the saint.

15. Finally, the icon is coated with linseed oil and varnish.

Thus, as you can see, the icon is made by several people, each of whom specializes in a certain stage of the process. It’s the only way to achieve the highest quality.

Icon painting is one of the most ancient church arts that make the Orthodox Church the bearer of an authentic tradition. When you acquire a painted icon, you touch a mystery and become a participant and a keeper of the sacred tradition. Painted icons are preserved for centuries and passed on from generation to generation as a family heritage and a symbol of blessing and connection.

By Vladislav Gurin,

the Master of Theology,

a PG student of the Minsk Theological Academy

The Catalog of Good Deeds, 2018

Question: "Isn't the fact that there were controversies over icons well into the 9th century proof that the early Church did not venerate icons?"

There were indeed controversies at various times, most notably the Iconoclastic controversies of the 8th and 9th centuries, but these controversies were primarily focused on the question of whether one could have icons at all. Even the iconoclasts did not object to the veneration of the Cross, or other holy objects. Their problem with icons was that they considered them inherently objectionable, regardless of whether they were being venerated or not. In fact, there was never any movement of Christians that accepted iconography, but rejected their veneration, prior to the Protestant Reformation.

It is a matter of fact, only 30 years prior to the first iconoclastic controversy, icons were not a controversial issue, as is shown by the the fact that the Quinisext Council issued a canon about the content of certain icons, that shows no hint of the making of icons being a matter of any controversy:

"In some of the paintings of the venerable Icons, a lamb is inscribed as being shown or pointed at by the Forerunner's finger, which was taken to be a type of grace, suggesting beforehand through the law the true lamb to us Christ our God. Therefore, eagerly embracing the old types and shadows as symbols of the truth and preindications handed down to the Church, we prefer the grace, and accept it as the truth in fulfillment of the law. Since, therefore, that which is perfect even though it be but painted is imprinted in the faces of all, the Lamb who taketh away the sin of the world Christ our God, with respect to His human character, we decree that henceforth he shall be inscribed even in the Icons instead of the ancient lamb: through Him being enabled to comprehend the reason for the humiliation of the God Logos, and in memory of His life in the flesh and of His passion and of His soterial death being led by the hand, as it were, and of the redemption of the world which thence accrues" (Canon LXXXII of the Quinisext Council).

And it is also a fact that archaeological evidence shows the ubiquity of Christian iconography going back to the catacombs. Clearly those who objected to iconography were outside of the Christian mainstream. What made icons controversial in the 8th and 9th centuries was the rise of Islam, and the desire of the iconoclastic emperors to bring those who had converted to Islam back into the Christian fold -- and icons were seen as an obstacle to this. It is also not coincidental that the iconoclastic emperors all came from parts of the empire in which Islam had made significant inroads.

Furthermore, a closer look at the texts of Scripture show that the Israelites had extensive iconography in both the Tabernacle and then later in the Temple. You find images of cherubim:

On the Ark – Exodus 25:18

On the Curtains of the Tabernacle – Exodus 26:1

On the Veil of the Holy of Holies – Exodus 26:31

In the Sanctuary – 1 Kings 6:23

On the Walls – 1 Kings 6:29

On the Doors – 1 Kings 6:32

And on the furnishings – 1 Kings 7:29,36

When you add all these references together, it is clear that there were Icons everywhere you turned in Israelite worship.

But some will object: "Isn't bowing before an icon and kissing it forbidden by the Second Commandment?" The issue with respect to the 2nd commandment is what does the word translated "graven images" mean? If it simply means carved images, then the images in the temple would be in violation of this Commandment. Our best guide, however, to what Hebrew words mean, is what they meant to Hebrews -- and when the Hebrews translated the Bible into Greek, they translated this word simply as "eidoloi", i.e. "idols." Furthermore the Hebrew word pesel is never used in reference to any of the images in the temple. So clearly the reference here is to pagan images rather than images in general.

Let's look at what the Second Commandment actually says:

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (i.e. idol), or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor shalt thou serve (worship) them..." (Exodus 20:4-5).

Now, if we take this as a reference to images of any kind, then clearly the cherubim in the Temple violate this command. If we limit this as applying only to idols, no contradiction exists. Furthermore, if this applies to all images -- then even the picture on a driver's license violates it, and is an idol. So either every Protestant with a driver's license is an idolater, or Icons are not idols.

Leaving aside, for the moment, the meaning of "graven images" lets simply look at what this text actually says about them. You shall not make x, you shall not bow to x, you shall not worship x. If x = image, then the Temple itself violates this Commandment. If x = idol and not all images, then this verse contradicts neither the Icons in the Temple, nor Orthodox Icons.

Abraham bowed himself before the people of Hebron (Genesis 23:7, 12); Joseph’s brothers bowed before him (Genesis 42:6; 43:26, 28); and many other examples could be cited that show that bowing was an expression of respect, and bowing to idols is only objectionable because the object in question is in fact an idol, an image of a false deity. And kissing holy things is a very common act of devotion among Jews to this day (see: Kissing: An Act of Religious Devotion, by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin (From To Pray as a Jew: A Guide to the Prayer book and the Synagogue Service, (New York: Basic Books [Harper Collins], 1980), p.43f).

There is no reason we should assume that the early Christians would not likewise have bowed before and kissed holy things, like their Jewish forefathers. And icons of saints or Biblical scenes would have been given the same veneration that the texts of Scripture were given.

By Fr. John Whiteford

Source: http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2015/12/stump-priest-did-early-church-venerate.html

We perish but aren’t dying

Our souls are stripped and bare

In flames but not consumed by fire,

That’s the Unburnt Bush!

- Maximillian Voloshin, 1919

The Unburnt Bush is one of the most vivid biblical images. It has inspired many artists and writers. However, the icon of the Mother of God the Unburnt Bush is truly the most meaningful and all-encompassing image. If we recall that early Christians used to call icons the painted Gospel, the Unburnt Bush icon can be called the painted Bible because its images represent some narratives taken both from the New and from the Old Testament.

It belongs to the fourth, and the last, type of Marian iconography, the Akathist one. In other words, it illustrates a certain descriptive term used in the Akathist or other works of church poetry to characterise the Mother of God. This time, it points at the Old Testament prototype of Virgin Mary: the Unburnt Bush.

The bush in question is referred to as Senekh, a thornbush, in Hebrew. According to the majority of biblical scholars, it belongs to a certain species of mimosa or acacia, which grows in the desert. Mount Sinai was covered with thornbushes to such an extent that its name in Hebrew, Senen, literally means “thornbush”.

We read in the Old Testament that Prophet Moses came to Mount Sinai and saw a bush, which was burning but not consumed by fire, and heard God’s voice that told him to stay away from that bush and take off his shoes. Moses was standing on holy land. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. (Exodus 3: 2‒4).

Although St. Clement of Alexandria regarded the unburnt bush as an image of Christ, recalling the crown of thorns that Jesus was made to wear, there were many other theologians who viewed the unburnt bush as a symbol of Theotokos who is “always a virgin, before, during and after the birth of Jesus Christ.” It was She who managed to contain the fiery nature of God the Son without being consumed: that was how St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. John Chrysostom, and Blessed Theodoret of Cyrrhus interpreted this passage.

Orthodox worship texts refer to the Mother of God in conjunction with that Old Testament symbol more than once:

You conceived God in your womb through the Holy Spirit, and yet remained unconsumed, O Virgin. The bush unconsumed by the fire clearly foretold you to the lawgiver Moses for you received the Fire that cannot be endured. (Octoechos, Tone 1, Theotokos Hymn on Sunday Matins)

O Virgin, worthy of all praise: Moses, with prophetic eyes, beheld the mystery that was to take place in You, as he saw the bush that burned, yet was not consumed; for, the fire of divinity did not consume Your womb, O Pure One. (Octoechos, Tone 1, Monday Vespers, Theotokos Hymn on Apostikha).

The Unburnt Bush symbolises the innocence of the Mother of God. She was born on earth to regular sinful people like us but remained pure and did not commit a sin nor accept wrongdoings.

People started painting icons of the Mother of God the Unburnt Bush during the first centuries of the Christian era. The image of the Theotokos was placed inside a burning bush. Most often, the image of the Theotokos belonged to Hodegetria (lit., She Who Shows the Way) type. The icon was becoming more complex over time: first, they added two crossed rhombi, a red one and a green or blue one. The red rhombus symbolizes the earth, while the green or blue one symbolizes the heaven. Red also means fire, while green points at the bush, which is burning yet not consumed by fire. Virgin Mary is portrayed with several symbols: a ladder (an Old Testament symbolic representation of the Mother of God, seen by Jacob in a dream) and a house (as the earthly Church). If we look at the rays of the stars that are formed by the intersection of the rhombi, we will see some angels — the rulers of the natural phenomena — in the rays of the first star (the blue one). There are symbols of the four Holy Evangelists as mentioned in the Revelation in the rays of the fiery-red star, namely, an Angel (Matthew), an Eagle (John), an Ox (Luke), and a Lion (Mark). Then there are angels (spirits of wisdom, reason, awe, and piety) and archangels in the two-lobed clouds. There are six archangels, each with his own sign: Michael, a rod; Gabriel, a branch of Annunciation; Raphael, an alabaster vessel; Uriel, a sword of fire, Selaphiel, a censer; Barachiel, a cluster of grapes. There are visions of the prophets in the four corners of the icon: the apparition of the Mother of God of the Sign to Moses in the Burning Bush; the apparition of a Seraph with a burning coal to Prophet Isaiah; the vision of locked gate to Prophet Ezekiel; and the vision of a golden Ladder with Angels to Jacob.

The Unburnt Bush icon is a treasure of symbols. It appeared in Russia thanks to some monks who came from Palestine as pilgrims in 1390. This icon is preserved in the sanctuary of the Holy Annunciation Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin nowadays. It was allegedly painted at the bottom of the rock where Moses had seen the burning bush.

Many miracles happened thanks to people’s prayers to this truly wonderful icon. One of the most widely known miracles was the release of Dmitry Koloshin, who was Tsar Fyodor Alexeyevich’s stable man, from prison. The man was thrown into prison unjustly. He decided not to insist on his innocence; instead, he used the most powerful method: incessant prayer in front of the Unburnt Bush icon. The Mother of God appeared to the Tsar to inform him of his mistake and to demand the liberation of the innocent prisoner. The gratitude of the freed groom was huge: Dmitry Koloshin built a church in honour of the Unburnt Bush icon of the Mother of God in 1680.

The Mother of God rescued people from fire many times, which is referenced in the troparion of this icon: “He hath glorified Her holy icon with many miracles / and gave it to the faithful to heal their illnesses / and to protect them from outbreaks of fire.”

This intricate image encourages us to get over our spiritual ignorance. It reflects the splendour and profundity of the Orthodox faith. The icon of the Mother of God the Unburnt Bush shines like a jewel from the great treasure of the Orthodox faith.

September 17, 2018

St. Elisabeth Convent

This icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is located in Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos. The name of the icon is explained by the following miracle.

When Saint Cosmas of Athos was still young and lived in Zograf Monastery, he visited Vatopedi Monastery on the Annunciation Day. He spotted a beautiful and majestic Woman in the church during the service and in the refectory during a meal. Saint Cosmas was embarrassed and unable to explain how She appeared on Mount Athos where no female had ever stepped and why monks of that monastery allowed Her presence. Carried away by these thoughts, he returned to Zograf and went to his elder. The elder saw that his disciple was baffled and asked him:

“Why are you so sad and wistful?”

Cosmas told him what he had seen in Vatopedi Monastery and honestly shared with the elder all his doubts and thoughts about the Woman that he had seen among the monks of that monastery.

“What did that Woman look like? What did She wear?” the elder asked again.

Cosmas described Her appearance in detail. The elder sighed and told his disciple:

“You failed to recognize the Female that appeared to you in the monastery, didn’t you? Now, listen: she wasn’t a mere mortal woman. She was the Queen of our Holy Mountain and all creation.”

Soon afterwards, Saint Cosmas was alone in the church. He started praying fervently to the Mother of God and exclaimed:

“O Most Holy Theotokos, please pray to your Son and God so that He would lead me to the route of salvation!”

Hardly did he utter these words that he heard the voice of the Theotokos:

“O my Son and my God! Teach Thy servant how to be saved!”

Then Cosmas heard an immediate response to Her prayer:

“He must leave the monastery and live in solitude.”

Cosmas followed that revelation. Having received his abbot’s blessing, he went to a neighboring desert, dug a cave, and spent the rest of his life in that cave carrying out his monastic duties. He was rewarded by the Lord with the gift of miracles.

The icon in front of which Saint Cosmas prayed and from which he heard the voice, is called “She who is quick to hear.” It is located in a niche in the east wall of the sanctuary of the cathedral church of Zograf Monastery.

Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds

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The History of the Unique Icon of the Mother of God, Named “Prosperess of Loaves”

How Icons Are Born in the Icon-painting Studio of St. Elisabeth Convent

Veneration of Icons in the Early Church – Could It Be Possible?

The Symbolism and Meaning of the Unburnt Bush Icon of the Mother of God

The Quick to Hear: a Rare Icon of the Mother of God from Zograf Monastery

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