Eikṓns Collector Drop

by Timothy Langton

Arte Delux x Simon Lee Robson have specially produced the Eikṓns Collector Drop. It features Simon Lee Robson's carefully handcrafted Eastern Orthodox Byzantine Greek and Russian Icons (Eikṓns).

Simon Lee Robson is a surrealist, expressionist painter from Yorkshire, based in north-west London. He produces visually arresting artwork, including reproduction Orthodox Christian Icons.

EIKṒNS DROPS 9TH SEPTEMBER 2024

These unique, reproduction Icon pieces, are made with various techniques, including decoupage on board, treated with a combination of numerous coats of stainer, varnish, and water lacquer, to form an antique patina. A selection of the Icons have been framed with gilt and natural wood frames.

As the Icon collection is quite extensive, we have divided it into parts. Each Icon piece is a bespoke, rustic, one-off, Limited Edition. Once sold, it's gone for good. The Icons can be bought as individual pieces, or as part of a collection to make an Icon corner.

History and Craft of Greek and Russian Icons

Greek icons, rooted in Byzantine tradition, are central to Eastern Orthodox Christianity and are revered as sacred images that depict Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints, and biblical scenes. Emerging in the early centuries of Christianity, Greek iconography follows strict theological guidelines and stylistic conventions, emphasising spiritual depth over realism. These icons are crafted to serve as windows into the divine, guiding worshippers in prayer and contemplation.

Russian icons, heavily influenced by Byzantine art, developed after the Christianisation of Russia in the 10th century. While maintaining the spiritual and theological foundations of Greek iconography, Russian icons evolved their own distinctive styles, often marked by rich colours, intricate details, and an emphasis on emotional expression. Both Greek and Russian icons are venerated as holy objects and play a vital role in the religious life and cultural heritage of their respective communities.

The making of Greek and Russian icons is a meticulous and spiritually significant process, rooted in centuries-old tradition.

Greek icons are created following the Byzantine technique, where the artist, often referred to as an iconographer, begins by preparing a wooden panel. The panel is coated with layers of gesso (a mixture of chalk and glue) to create a smooth surface. The image is then sketched lightly, and egg tempera, made from pigments mixed with egg yolk, is used for painting. Gold leaf is often applied to highlight divine radiance, especially in halos or backgrounds. The process is deeply meditative, with iconographers considering their work as a form of prayer, adhering to strict theological rules to ensure the image reflects spiritual truths rather than individual interpretation.

Russian icons, while following similar methods, often incorporate more vibrant colours and detailed ornamentation. Russian iconographers, like their Greek counterparts, use wooden panels prepared with gesso and paint with egg tempera. Gold leaf is also used, but Russian icons can feature more elaborate backgrounds and decorations, reflecting the local artistic sensibilities. The Russian tradition evolved its own styles, such as the use of bold colors and expressive faces, while maintaining the sacred purpose of the icon as a medium for spiritual contemplation.

Both traditions place great emphasis on following established canons to preserve the theological integrity of the images, with the process being as much an act of devotion as it is of artistic creation.

Greek and Russian icons, rich in spiritual and artistic tradition, continue to inspire devotion and serve as enduring symbols of faith in the Orthodox Christian world.

Extract from Russian Icons, David Talbot Rice, 1947

To those who have not visited the museums of Greece and Russia, the name icon is generally associated with those small, stereotyped religious pictures, usually depicting somewhat obscure saints, and as often as not covered not only with dirt and candle-smoke, but also by metal covers which leave visible only the face and hands of the figures depicted.
It is true that many later icons both in Greece and Russia were of this type. But these examples are no more characteristic of icon-painting in its grand period than the hack-work landscapes of the decorators’ shops of to-day are typical of English painting of the eighteenth century. In the case of icons, it is true, really first-class examples are far from numerous, and the would-be admirer has to undertake comparatively arduous researches before he can find good reproductions, or make long journeys before he can see the best originals. But these impediments are fortuitous. They are the result, in the first place, of the fact that external conditions in the Orthodox Christian area have been peculiarly unfavourable to the survival of fragile works of art; and in the second, of the localisation of the Orthodox Faith in Eastern Europe and Russia. But when once the few publications containing good reproductions have been traced and a few originals have been seen, the first misconception of the nature of the icon is rapidly dispelled and new and surprisingly rich vistas are disclosed.

Available from the Arte Delux store: Eikṓns Collector Drop

EIKṒNS PART II DROPS OCTOBER, 2024...