The Meaning of Icons

222 pp. 12 x 9. Numerous color reproductions. CONTENTS: Foreword; Publisher's Preface; Tradition and Traditions; The Meaning and Language of Icons; The Technique of Iconography; Explanation with Main Types of Icons; Index of Plates; Index of Illustrations; Suggested Bibliography. "Russian icons are typically paintings on wood, often small, though some in churches and monasteries may be much larger. Some Russian icons were made of copper. Many religious homes in Russia have icons hanging on the wall in the krasny ugol, the "red" or "beautiful" corner. 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 (Russian: ikonostas), or icon-screen, a wall of icons with double doors in the center. Russians sometimes speak of an icon as having been "written", because in the Russian language (like Greek, but unlike English) the same word (pisat', in Russian) means both to paint and to write. Icons are considered to be the Gospel in paint, and therefore careful attention is paid to ensure that the Gospel is faithfully and accurately conveyed..."