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Themes of Eastern Orthodox Art by John Kohan

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Soundings June 2017 Themes of Eastern Orthodox Art This article is the At first glance, the art of the first in a two-part Eastern Orthodox Church might series submitted seem strange to Western viewers as a companion whose notion of an “iconic” piece to the summer art exhibit in The religious image is Leonardo da Gallery. Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper with its lifelike figures in the Italian Renaissance style. John Kohan The holy faces on true icons 15th century Russian iconographer, Andrei Rublev, Art Historian stare out at us like alien visitors created an image in this style of such beauty and and Collector from a realm outside of time and theological depth it has become the prototype for space as we know it. modern icons of The Holy Trinity like the one in this Icons have been called “windows into heaven” show. to describe the role they play in Orthodox worship. Icons of Christ Whether they are used for personal devotion or celebrate his divinity. assembled in a church icon screen for the liturgy, they As Church Father are considered to be paint-on-wood “stand-ins” for the Athanasius of holy beings they represent, functioning like outposts of Alexandria wrote in heaven on earth. the 4th century: “He The Orthodox see painting an icon as comparable was made human that to writing a work of theology, so, this sacred art form we might be made is often described as “icon-writing.” To discourage the God.” The images faithful from focusing on what is human and transient on display of Christ in sacred portraits, icon-makers developed simplified, and Christ in Glory Yatskiv standardized images of their sacred subjects, called offer a glimpse of the prototypes, which have remained largely unchanged eternal realm where he is adored by angels and down the centuries. enthroned in radiant light. Even the icon of his The 13th century mosaic broken body is titled The King of Glory. of Christ Pantocrator (Ruler of All) in the Church The story of the of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) Transfiguration in present day Istanbul is not is important in significantly different from a Orthodox sacred art modern day icon on the theme as the momentous you might see placed in the moment when the “holy corner” of an Orthodox Yatskiv divine Christ was home in Russia. revealed on earth The Russian Orthodox to his disciples Church, historically, has not in garments of a allowed depictions of God white so brilliant the Father. To represent all else was left in shadow, as we see in the Trinity, iconographers turned to the story of the three the icon especially mysterious guests of Abraham commissioned for in Genesis 18 , showing three this exhibition. nearly identical angels seated Yatskiv Demchuk around a table. The sainted 4 Soundings July 2017 Themes of Eastern Orthodox Art This article is the The Virgin Mary holds second in a two-part an exalted place in Orthodox series submitted worship as Theotokos, the God- as a companion Bearer or Mother of God. piece to the summer art exhibit in The There are several variations Gallery. The first in this exhibit of one much- article is found in loved prototype of Mary, The the June 2017 issue Virgin Who Shows the of Soundings. John Kohan Way, always directing us with Art Historian her hand to worship her son, and Collector Jesus Christ. Icons of The Birth of Christ typically depict Mary lying on the ground with her newborn babe, emphasizing her earthly role in the miracle of the Incarnation, when God took on human form and became like one of us. Events of sacred history in Orthodox icons reflect in a timeless way the ongoing life of the Church. Yatskiv In the image of The Last Supper in this show, Christ raises his hand in blessing over the chalice, bringing to mind the consecration of the bread and wine at the Eucharist. The formal Rusetska arrangement of the disciples awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit in the icon of Pentecost remains us that Tomkevych authority in the Orthodox Church is vested in the Ecumenical Councils. Rusetska Images of the saints, often accompanied by visual vignettes of their good deeds and earthly trials and tribulations, remind us that we are all called to be “icons” of Christ, living out his life in the World, until the time when, as St. Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:49, “As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” 4 Tomkevych.
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