icons-msg - 6/7/99

Religous Icons. Painting them. References.

NOTE: See also the files: Icons-art, relics-msg, rosaries-msg, religion-msg,  saints-msg, p-bibles-msg, burials-msg, painting-msg, frescoes-msg.

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NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given  by the individual authors.

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear  at this time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 17:49:10 -0600
From: Roberta R Comstock <froggestow at juno.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: painting

<jmac at islandnet.com> writes:
>.....  I know of a few people experimenting with dyptych(I hope I
spelled that right).
>That's a Russian religious icon used for devotional activities..I've
seen one(HL Linnet's--*drool*).
>
>Lady Sciath

Although a Russian icon may be a diptych, there are other formats for
icons as well.

Not all diptychs are Russian or icons.

A diptych is a pair of hinged panels.  The may contain a writing surface
such as beeswax on which one may take notes with a pointed stylus.  Or
they may have a carved or recessed painted surface, often including one
or more icons.    A triptych is similar, except that it has 3 panels.
Usually the two side panels meet in the center of the large panel when
closed.   These were sometimes placed on altars or in shrines.  Small
ones are easily portable.

 These are commonly made of wood.   The surface to be painted is usually
coated with gesso befor color is applied.   I have also seen small metal
diptichs and triptichs which may be worn as lockets.  Larger ones are
sometimes associated with reliquaries.

Hertha

Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 10:09:53 +0000
From: Scot Eddy <seddy at vvm.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Icon book question

> I just noticed that Daedalus Books has in their Winter 1999 book, a
> book on Iconography. Icons by Gordana Babic, I.P. Verlgsgesellschaft.
> Import. $14.98 ...explains icons (eikon) etc...In this book, 64 great
> icons (one to a page and in glowing color) are introduced and
> interpreted by leading sacred art scholar Gordana Babic. The examples
> come from Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, Russia, Bulgaria and Hungary,
> where they can still be seen in their gilded radiance in churches
> and museums.
>
> Have you heard of this volume? Is a good one for the icons of the
> SCA period? Is is a good, overview one for someone new to icons
> and only wanting an overview?
>
>   Stefan

Stefan,

No, I haven't had a chance to check it out, but thanks for the heads up.
Here are 7 of the best books from my library that are worth reading if
one is interested in iconography.

Actually, icongraphy would be quite normal and accessible to most
Europeans, even Normans. The Crusades brought iconography West where is
took root in the Catholic Church.

If you're looking just for pictures of Icons then a cheap way to go is
to buy icon calendars from the previous year rather than a more
expensive book. Light and Life Publishing is a good source both for
Byzanitne history and iconography books. Here is their address if you're
interested.

Light & Life Publishing
4818 Park Glen Road
Minneapolis, MN 55416

Voice:(612) 925-3888
FAX: (612) 925-3918
Toll Free Fax: (US Only) (888) 925-3918
http://www.light-n-life.com/index.html

Chatzidakis, Manolis, et al. The Icon.  New York:  Alfred A Knopf, 1982.

Weitzmann, Kurt,  Manolis Chatzidakis, and Svetozar Radojcic.,  ICONS.
Alpine Fine             Arts Collection (UK), LTD., 1993.
        ISBN 0-933516-07-X

Brenske, Helmut. Icons. Berghaus Printing 1996 (no ISBN listed)

Rice, David Talbot. Art of the Byzantine Era. Thames and Hudson. 1963
    ISBN 0-500-20004-1

Pelikan, Jaroslav. Imago Dei. Princeton University Press. 1990
    ISBN 0-691-09970-7 (alk. paper)

Maguire, Henry. The Icons of Their Bodies. Princeton University Press.
    ISBN 0-691-02581-9 (cl:alk paper)

Lowden, John. Early Christian and Byzantine Art. Phaidon Press Limited.
    1997    ISBN 0-7148-3168-9

Subject: icon writing
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 98 08:18:26 MST
From: Scot Eddy <seddy at vvm.com>
To: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>

It's called "writing" because you are producing a physical manifestation
of a intangible prayer. It's part prayer, part story. The Romans (as the
Byzanines called themselves) saw the icon as a tool for worship; like
incense, organ music, candles, and prayers.

Hope this sheds some light.

Jovian

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