In the News ... "Odessa museum to host exhibit of Russian religious icons"

Russian Icons: Imperial Treasures

March 17 – May 18, 2014

Ellen Noël Art Museum of the Permian Basin

Odessa, Texas

From the Collection of Daniel Bibb, Atlanta, Georgia

Distinguished lecture by Dr. Griffin Jones, Lead Pastor, Crossroads Church
March 17, 2014, 5:30 pm

Followed by Allegro Chorale preforming portions of Rachmaninoff’s Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in original language – Church Slavonic - under artistic director Dr. Cory Alexander

From the Museum's Website: The majesty of old Russia is powerfully evident in this collection of Russian icons which shows a wide range of the art of iconography. This exhibition is comprised of over one hundred Russian icons dating from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, along with rare religious artifacts in brass, copper and enamel. Many of the icons are housed in original ornate kiots or decorative guilded protective cases. The icons originate from churches, monasteries and private homes.

The icon images were created by iconographers according to set standards of the church. Russians sometimes refer to an icon as having been “written” as the same word means both to paint and to write in the Russian language. Iconographers paid careful attention to ensure the images were faithfully and accurately conveyed. In Eastern Christianity and other icon-painting traditions, icons generally depict the trinity, angels, saints, crucifix or scenes from biblical narrative. Icons may also be cast in metal, carved in stone, embroidered on cloth, painted on wood, done in mosaic or fresco work, printed on paper or metal and enamel. Creating free-standing, three-dimensional sculptures of holy figures was resisted by Christians for many centuries, out of the belief that daimones inhabited pagan sculptures. There is a rich history and elaborate religious symbolism associated with icons. In Russian churches, the nave is typically separated from the sanctuary by an iconostasis or icon-screen, a wall of icons with double doors in the center.

For over 1,000 years, Orthodox Christianity, the Greek branch of the Christian faith, helped shape the spiritual and cultural foundation of Russian society and directed the creative energies of craftsman and artists. Icon painting also originated in the Greek Orthodox tradition and was imported into Russia. Over time, as the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches separated to become different and distinct entities, so too did their styles in depicting important spiritual events. The Russians formed their own systems, liturgies, rituals, customs, and styles. They also developed their own distinctive modes of expression in icon painting.

This exhibition reveals an intimate selection of inspirational and historical icons providing a cross section of traditional styles used in executing these remarkable images. These icons have been selected for both their spiritual and visual impact.

• visit the Ellen Noël Art Museum of the Permian Basin online