ICONS

Genovaite Jasiuliene

This part of the exhibition features sacred images of the Eastern Church (Russian Orthodox Church and the Old Believers). The icons imported from different locations in Russia or later on painted by the local artisans constitute a small, but important part of the cultural heritage of Lithuania.
The artistic qualities of the ancient icons (12-16 C.) make them differ largely from the Western religious art. Through its distinct visual vocabulary, the Eastern tradition translates commonly used Biblical themes into poetic and deeply meaningful images. Icon is a unique, isolated realm, which bears no resemblance to the real world surrounding us. At the early stages, the icon images did not abound in subjects. Simple and minimal means of expression: line, color, and a flat likeness of a saint, enabled the icon painters to create powerful vehicles for the main Biblical dogmas. Icon is always an ideal image with typical spiritual attributes; it is never an individual likeness. Typical gestures and a formula of facial features enable the viewer to recognize iconography types. Isolated figures and simple narrative is arranged against a flat background. Inconspicuous background motifs serve to emphasize the importance of the figure and become a part of the overall compositional scheme. The icon painter orchestrated all the elements of his simple visual vocabulary to create a harmonious and powerful image of Divine mystery and majesty.
Changing circumstances and artistic tendencies gradually modified the most valuable traditions of the early icon painting. Typical religious themes were augmented by secular subjects, which reflected ceremonial life of the gentry and motifs of mundane life. This ruined the original simplicity of the icons, at the time new themes were introduced. The image of Madonna with Child was very popular from the beginning of icon painting; later on the artists started focusing on different and sometimes contrasting aspects of the Mother of God, like Her Majesty or Motherly tenderness. The Biblical scenes, which included more characters, like The Raising of Lazarus, The Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension tend as well as the images of prophets and patron saints were very much loved. The icons of the 17-18 C. tend to be pompous and staged, at the same time the deeper message of the scene is lost. Supplementary and explanatory ones augment the main narrative, and the background motif becomes increasing detailed. The emphasis shifts to exterior, “earthly” beauty, and the draperies become increasingly ornate and sumptuous. The icon shimmers with ornaments and colors, and the central image of the saint looses its original dominance. Previous poetic variations of a simple theme are replaced by recurrent didactic narrative and straightforward illustration.
Since the18 C. onwards, the national tradition of Russian icon painting underwent a destructive influence of the Western painting and its pictorial program. The principles of icon painting became neglected and replaced by figure modeling in space, chiaroscuro and the laws of perspective. All this resulted in destruction of the flat image, (which never projected beyond the surface of the canvass or board), the main tenet of the icon painting through centuries. However, these novelties only impacted the cultural centers in Russia while more remote areas preserved the ancient tradition.
The technique of icon painting changed little through centuries either. Icons were painted on wood boards glued together and covered by canvass, which was then coated by a special prime. Tempera paints in powder and egg yolk binding was mostly used. The size of the icons did not vary much either, as it was set by the constant themes of iconostasis and heraldic arrangement of its parts in the Orthodox church. It was also determined by a place the sacred image was assigned in the homes of the believers.

  © Lithuanian Art Museum, Fund of Samogitian Culture, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics 
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     Page updated 2011.08.12