A little about Icon painting, conservation and restoration

Icon painting is a type of easel painting that is devoted to depict images of Christian saints. Russian Icon paining is remarkable for strict canons in technique of painting and in the images.

Mostly Russian icons were painted using egg tempera (late icons were painted in oil) on specially prepared wooden panels. It was allowed to combine different period moments and various scales within one icon. Usually icons weren’t signed by authors. Often you can see gold leaf (in some icons, though, silver leaf tinted with shellac can be found in some you can see no gilding at all) that is used for background areas and for halos. Russian icons may also have tin, bronze or silver exterior facades (oklad).

When we talk about icon painting, mostly we are referring to the image and the paints that are crucial points that influence the icon paining technique. Icon image - is the image on a plate where the painter develops the composition strictly subordinate to the flatness of the wooden panel. Paints that take part in creating the image. Although there are a variety of techniques that the painter can choose for his artistic purposes, he, nevertheless, tries to use the paints that mostly fit the need. Egg tempera was chosen by the icon painter for particular reasons: a) because it was widely spread in Byzantine, and the technique as well as the icon painting technology along with Christianity and Church traditions was assimilated in Russia, b) egg tempera is quite lasting in terms of its steadiness to the time and environment influence.

The consistency of the icon paining was developed in the past and passes by tradition by icon painters from one generation to another. In my work I am also consistent with the use the old Russina icon conservation and restoration technologies that I collected for many years from various reliable sources in Russia and abroad. A lot of professional secrets Russian icon conservation specialists keep safe and pass them by to their students (this happened in my case).

In icon consevation I use only natural components, so that they are close to the original. This allows to keep the Icon in the excellent condition for years.

In my works I use techniques that are aimed either to conserve or restore existing icons. On the next pages you can see some samples of russian icon conservation and restoration that I've done over the last few months. More on conservation and restoration of icons will be placed later...