Sacred Sunday

I discovered this icon in a corner of Christ Church, Oxford England. I have no facts on this little gem; I can only say what I think. The subject is certainly typically iconic. It doesn't appear to be Russian to me. I would guess that's it's later than 12th century because of the modeling of the figures (which I think are charming), and that's real gold leaf and plenty of it (maybe made for someone who could afford it).

Sacred Sunday

This is the kind of art that got me into painting. I started to look at Byzantine icons; some of course were painted but many were mosaics. I loved the strong color and the flat design like quality of the images. Of course the subjects were always Biblical; it was the churches attempt to teach illiterate people the Bible (of course there were no Bibles for them to read if they could read). This became a prominent art form that adorned the walls of churches. I found this one in the alcove of a church in New Orleans. And the images are of the Father, the Son & the Holy Ghost with probably angels at the sides. But maybe the figure on the right isn't God for he has a triangular halo which is usually reserved for a living saint. Jesus on the left is holding the word and his hand raised with palm out signifies peace. My study of icons inspired me to paint a series of modern icons with acrylic paint.