Christ – 14th Century
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Media: Egg tempera
Gold: 23.5 K Gold leaf (includes gold on garment)
Style: Russian
Original icon on board – private collection, Frederick, MD
Prints available
Date of creation: 2008-2010
Description
“14th Century Christ”. New, original icon on board by the hand of Rebecca LaChance. The icon was painted using egg tempera which imparts a sense of architecture and dimension to the icon. Each layer of paint lays upon the previous, eventually producing a icon that can be “felt” by the heart and by the hand. Gold leaf provides the background and is also used for the highlights of the garment.
All original icons reflect the humanity and the human hand that painted them; they contain all the brush marks and hallmarks of the painter’s style and skill.
The icon story
The Christ holds a scroll in his left hand, symbolizing that He is “The Word” and brings good news. His right hand is raised in blessing. Christ’s halo includes a cross and the Greek letters omega, omicron, and nu, spelling “HO ON”. In English, this becomes “Who Am” the name used for God in Exodus 3:14. The halo is outlined in red – a sign of the life shared between God and mankind. The white halo outline symbolizes purity and reinforces the concept of Christ’s sanctity.
The Greek letters – IC and XC - in both upper corners refer to “Jesus Christ”. These letters are almost always painted onto any icon of the Christ as a matter of iconographic convention.
The significant use of gold in this particular icon symbolizes the radiant light of the Divine that shines from within the Christ and projects outward to all of us. The gold also symbolizes the idealized or sanctified state of the Christ as opposed to his earthly form.
The purpose of an icon
Above all, an icon is theology in color and it allows the viewer to participate in acts of worship and prayer. The icon does not depict “a person” or a “story”; instead, it reveals and conveys teachings and truth. An icon serves as a window into heaven and allows the viewer to contemplate how the Divine influenced, and was reflected, in the person depicted.
Iconography is resurging throughout the world. More and more people are experiencing beautiful religious art as important in their daily lives and their spiritual lives. The value for icons of all styles has risen markedly in the last several years as people appreciate the beauty and the messages of the icons.
About the author and this icon
It took one year and two months to paint this icon. A few short months after I started the 14th century Christ, my father died. As the year progressed my own health required much attention and then in early fall, my mother died. I struggled with the painting of this icon, partially because it was the first icon that my new teacher recommended I paint. I was anxious to show her “what I knew” – which compared to her mastery was zilch. While I reveled in what she was teaching me, I could not produce the layers of egg tempera as expertly as she. (Really? Was I really expecting to be as masterful as she? Talk about misplaced expectations . . .) There were days that I did not go to class because my previous week’s work was a disappointment to me. It’s probably fair to say that I was experiencing depression during this time.
“Christ in Depression” was the title I felt to be more appropriate. Yet, he “quietly held steady”, waiting for me to move through my emotions and my headaches and complete my task.
Finally, in early 2010, I was able to finish the icon and I fell in love with the patience and beauty I saw within the face. I felt that he was being called as a special gift to someone; I only had to wait for the naming of the “someone”. Indeed, in March 2010, a friend was ordained after a long journey through seminary. While my heart knew this icon was to be an ordination gift to her, I did not want to “give him up.” Several times, I pulled out different completed icons with the intention of finding the perfect gift for my minister friend. Yet, my heart always said “no” and then felt complete peace as I turned my gaze back to this 14th century Christ. So . . . I gave the icon to her.
Paraphrasing Stan Marsh of “South Park”, I learned something that day. It does no good to the beauty of the world, or the beauty of souls, if I hold/hoard the icons that I have completed. The inspiration that comes to me to paint a certain icon is the same inspiration that leads that icon to the person who will most benefit from it. And thus, I must be prepared to “let go”. If I “. . . do that which is good when it is in the power of my hands to do it.” (Proverbs 3:27), then I must let that good go forth.
And of course, there is the lesson of the Christ “quietly holding steady” while he waits for us to work through our rumbling lives and then acknowledge his patience and his beauty.
14th century Christ, prints (suitable for framing) - $19.95