Product Description

Includes 33 color photos, 34 illustrations, and an index.

In recent years there has been a sort of "rediscovery" of icons by Western Christians. There is an increasing awareness that the icon is not merely a work of art, but is also an aspect of diving revelation and of our communing with God in the Church. Thus the icon cannot be separated from Orthodox belief, prayer or liturgical life. To fully understand the icon, one must comprehend its organic unity: artistic, spiritual, theological. Quenot's analysis of various icons and their theological elements enables the readers to appreciate the various aspects of the icon more fully.

There are currently many books written about icons, discussing either their historical context, describing their spiritual attraction, or simply showing their aesthetic beauty. The Icon is, however, an exceptional book in many ways. Michel Quenot has sketched a brief yet highly descriptive history of iconography together with a discussion of the canons and laws which govern this ancient art form. Such "ground rules" guarantee a spiritual continuity and doctrinal unity that are valid beyond all national and cultural boundaries.

Translated from the French and already published in eight languages, The Icon: Window on the Kingdom includes 33 color photos and 34 black and white illustrations. Among its many illustrations are included examples of works by modern iconographers, which show the icon to be a living and vital art form, bit outmoded or stagnant. The book also covers historical sources, theological and biblical foundations, iconographic themes, and the icon's role in the life of believers. It includes discussion of current discoveries and recent scholarship from catacomb art through Egyptian, Byzantine, Balkan, Russian and contemporary iconography.

Michel Quenot, an Orthodox layman who teaches modern languages in Switzerland, is intensely involved in the study of the art and theology of the icon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #731840 in Books
• Published on: 1992-01-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Alan D. Falconer, The Furrow
"...an excellent instruction to the understanding and role of the icon in the Orthodox Church... This volume is the distallation of wide reading and lengthy encounters with icons and it is hoped it will find a wide readership."

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Customer Reviews

Good, but should be seen as one resource among many other extant introductions
Michel Quenot's THE ICON: Window on the Kingdom, translated into English by an anonymous Carthusian monk, is a concise introduction to the iconography of the Orthodox Church. Since its topic is images, it contains many figures, most of which come in gorgeous full colour.

In spite of its short length of less than 200 pages, the book manages to cover all aspects of icons, such as the history and dogmatic foundations of the art, the place of the icon in the Church, and the methods by which they are made. The nature of the paintings themselves, that is, the geometric structure, colours, perspective, and use of light are exhaustively described. Quenot provides an analysis of four specific icons to point out the general themes presented. Throughout, Quenot (himself a member of the Orthodox Church) is keen to show the spiritual value of icons. They aren't a mere subject of dry academic study or art history, but true "windows to heaven" where the Christian contemplates the Kingdom of God. The book also gives a comparison of the development of religious imagery in the Roman Catholic Church alongside the constancy of the Byzantine icon, showing the uniqueness of Orthodoxy's iconography. This is a nice touch that is missing from many introductions.

While the book does contain useful information. I found the writing somewhat repetetive and unfocused. The translation is also not entirely satisfactory. Some tighter proofreading and editing would have serve both the French original and this SVS Press translation well. Nonetheless, if you are interested in icons, this is a work worth perusing.

A short masterpiece
This book manages to deal with the theology, the history, the technique and the underlying philosophy of icon painting in a deceptively short number of pages. The author is a linguist who has closely studied his subject over many years. He wears his scholarship lightly. Perhaps out of respect for his subject he avoids any hint of egotism, prefering to quote from a wide range of authors ranging from the earliest days of Christianity down to the present day. His ostensibly modest comments, aparently centered on the icon, widen out into a critique of modern life and how it may be refocused through the contemplation of the spiritual perspective on which the icon is alone based.

It would be hard to imagen a better selection of illustrations. Those range from the earliest examples from Greece through the golden age of Russian art through to Ouspensky and Kroug, including those artists who have managed to remain anonymous as the icon demands since they claim no credit for the inspiration which drives them. On the net itself some very good examples of real icons can be sourced through "Theologic WorldLinks" and others. Some iconographers can be contacted directly on the net but you have to wait before they get around to you. Vladimir Baranov of Siberia is wonderful (baranovv@academ.org) as is Vojislav Lukovic of Beograd (voj@eunet.eu). Both have websites, so you can see how their work can grace your home.