a) The History of Icons
The first Christians had neither time nor interest in an art which corresponded to their faith. Every day they awaited the end of the world and the return of Christ as it is prophesised in the bible. Yet, the roots of icon painting can be traced back to the 4th century in the Palestinian-Syrian region. Technically they got their first “face” through Egyptian-Hellenistic mummy portraits.
From these effigies the memory-icon “Eikon” (Greek: “image as likeliness of a primal image”) developed. The oldest, preserved icons are from the 6th and 7th century. They show a blend of the following stylistic forms: late Egyptian, late Antique, and Byzantine.
During the Iconoclastic Controversy (725-843) the Greek Doctor John of Damascus (died 750) canonised the worship of images saying that not the picture itself is worshipped, but the primal image whose memory it conveys: “Christ as a mortal is the icon of God-Father.”
The Iconoclastic Controversy was put to an end by the Council of Nicaea, which was summoned by Empress Irene in 787, and the Synod of Constantinople in 842.
The icon painting and the worship of images experienced a boost with Constantinople being its metropolis. Here, at the emperor’s court, artists from all over the occident gathered. Their influence moulded the orthodox panel painting.
Cultural centres and art schools arose. Kiev was the first centre, and in the 11th century Novgorod became a second, important icon-centre. Moscow only developed much later.
When the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453 the eastern Roman Empire ended and most of the icons were destroyed by the pagan raiders.
The Art centres shifted to the Christian Mediterranean and parts of the Balkans. On Sinai and Crete there was a prosperous epoch of icon painting from 1450 to 1600. Drawing monks, like the ones of Mount Athos, formed the image of their time.
After the Turks retreated from the Russian regions the cult of icon painting resurrected at the tsar’s court and had yet another heyday.
While the Stroganov-school showed signs of a return to tradition, most artists turned away from the demur and stiff presentation. The icon became a terse composition of central theme, minor character, and architecture. Art schools and whole art villages developed everywhere. Monks taught laymen the techniques of icon painting and instructed them in a task which was connected with strict religious rules.
In the 16th century the icon painter’s guild was known, in the 17th century the icon department was founded, and in the 19th century great workshops could be found in Russia.