ABOUT

Byzantine Church painting has flowered in different historical epochs and in different lands in various ways. Yet traditional iconography always remains within the bounds of a certain unspoken canon guided by the specific world view of the Christian faith. Today, the iconographer within the Prosopon School attempts to produce icons reflecting an inner mysterious depth and natural vibrancy evident in the greatest ancient examples of the tradition. Especially valued in the School is the transparency and luminescence of ancient Russian icon painting which reached a unique height at around the fifteenth century. However, there is no attempt to copy old icons directly. Tradition is not a thing of the past; it necessarily rejuvenates itself, clothing the eternal in new forms corresponding to the possibilities of the given era and thereby exerting an influence on contemporary life. To produce a living icon, the aspiring iconographer must immerse him or herself in the theological and iconological principles taught by the Church while working on the refinement of his or her sense of artistic nuance.

As is fitting to the icon’s sacred function, predominantly natural materials are used in the School: wooden panels gessoed with natural ground, genuine gold leaf applied by the bole method, egg tempera with ground pigments, and linseed oil finish. The iconographic method of the School is characterized by a multi-step process in which the succession of steps is concrete and definite, as in the liturgical services of the Church. Although the striving is for a high artistic level, the focus of the icon writer is nevertheless on personal spiritual discipline and growth within the teachings of the Orthodox Church.