The Mystical Language Of Icons

The Mystical Language of Icons

Solrunn Nes, one of Europe's most admired iconographers, illuminates the world of Christian icons, explaining the motifs, gestures, and colors common to these profound symbols of faith. Nes explores in depth a number of famous icons, including those of the Greater Feasts, the Mother of God, and a number of the better-known saints, enriching her discussion with references to Scripture, early Christian writings, and liturgy. She also leads readers through the process and techniques of icon painting, showing each step with photographs, and includes more than fifty of her own original works of art.

The Mystical Language of Icons

In The Mystical Language of Icons, the details of many of the most well-recognised icon paintings are explained motif by motif, for example the position of the hands and fingers, the use of a Greek letter and the significance of different colours. The author is a contemporary icon painter of international repute, and explains technique, function, form and meaning using examples of her own work. In addition to dynamic illustrations of icon making in practice, the book traces the development of this visual language within its specific cultural framework, offering a thorough historical and theological background to the tradition of Orthodox iconography.

The Mystical Language of Icons