Do Christians still make icons?

Upvote:-2

Google "Icons religious modern" and click the "images" heading on the search page to see lots of examples. I wouldn't call all these things icons, but some of them surely are. (Googling without "religious" brought mostly "icons" in the computer sense.)

Upvote:3

Yes, for example, the vesica pisces is a newer invention. Sure some will argue that the fish has always been a Christian symbol, however the modern / Christian usage of the vesica pisces is not the same symbol used in the early church as seen below.

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Upvote:5

There are certainly modern iconographers. I have a small icon I bought in Walsingham (in Norfolk, UK), which is painted and uses gold leaf in the traditional Orthodox style. Not a particularly good photo of it, but here it is: about 8" × 5".

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And Sergei Fyodorov (b. 1959) has executed a number of commissions for English cathedrals: an icon of Saint Richard of Chichester; a set of icons of local saints for Winchester Cathedral, and an enormous fresco in Rochester Cathedral.

Upvote:8

Yes, there are lots of examples! There are still professional Iconographers who go around painting Iconography for a living! In the Orthodox Church the Temples are traditionally fully covered in frescoes. Here is an example: enter image description here

Since this is a great part of the Orthodox Church, there are many people who have been trained in this Holy Art and are going around the world adorning Temples.

In fact, at this very moment, the church which I am going to is having it's hitherto white and barren walls covered in frescoes! An iconographer from Serbia is doing all the painting of the frescoes throughout the whole church. At the moment, though, only slightly more than the dome is done.

Here is a snapshot of the dome from a little while ago:

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There is also a slightly outdated video of the Iconographer at work which can be seen here.

And if you are really interested, every now and then, some very good Iconographer will hold an Iconography work-shop... I have never attended one, but from what I hear they are very fun.

I even found a link on OrthodoxWiki which has a list of Modern Iconographers.

Also, probably of great interest to you, is the website of one Iconographer, Vladimir Grygorenko. Take a look at his portfolio if you want to know the answer to this question...

And, a little more which probably won't be useful to you, here is a link which gives the Orthodox Iconographer some rules and prayers as guidance. One of the prayers is as follows:

A Prayer Before Beginning an Icon:

O Divine Lord of all that exists, Thou hast illumined the Apostle and Evangelist Luke with Thy Holy Spirit, thereby enabling him to represent Thy most Holy Mother, the One who held Thee in her arms and said: The Grace of Him Who has been born of me is spread through the world! Enlighten and direct my soul, my heart and my spirit. Guide the hands of Thine unworthy servant so that I may worthily and perfectly portray Thine Icon, that of Thy Mother, and all the Saints, for the glory, joy and adornment of Thy Holy Church. Forgive my sins and the sins of those who will venerate these icons and who, kneeling devoutly before them, give homage to those they represent. Protect them from all evil and instruct them with good counsel. This I ask through the intercession of Thy most Holy Mother, the Apostle Luke, and all the Saints. Amen.

... Simply put:

Yes, Christians do still make Icons!

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