Seeking Perfection in the World of Art
The Artistic Path of Father Sophrony
$24.00
“One has to know technique, but one also needs to know art. An icon should be like a ‘painting’, like a prayer written with beautiful letters. We should make the faces of the icons attractive, so that the onlooker is able to pray. The icons should be like a trampoline towards eternal life.”
Sophrony
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Book Presentation: Seeking Perfection in the World of Art
Father Sophrony, Sergei Sakharov (1896-1993), started his life as a painter. He then became a monk, priest, spiritual director. He founded his own monastery and began to paint icons. The latter part of his life is well known, but his artistic path is still mainly unknown. The present book is an attempt to rectify this and to introduce Father Sophrony’s artistic vision and understanding.
“To paint an icon is like writing a poem; one cannot add or take away a single word. In the same way the icon should only contain the necessary, not too little, not too much.”
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter one
Formative years in Russia
Chapter two
Travels through Europe and settling in Paris
Chapter three
A change of heart and life
Chapter four
Creating his Monastery
Chapter five
Father Sophrony as an Iconographer
Catalogue of Drawings
Appendix
1. A short outline of Russian history
2. Art schools after the revolution
3. The term faktura
4. Kandinsky’s and father Sophrony’s writings
5. Russian artists mentioned in the text
Bibliography
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About the Author
Sister Gabriela
Sister Gabriela joined the Community of Saint John the Baptist in 1983 after studying iconography in Paris on Saint Sophrony’s insistence. She was part of the team which was painting the murals of Saint Silouan’s Chapel and worked closely with the saint. After the mural work, Saint Sophrony continued to teach her the art of icon painting, and she assisted him in some larger works. Since his repose, to the extent that she has been able to understand them, she has tried to further his vision and ideas in various artistic projects.
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Yves Dubois (verified owner) –
Sister Gabriela gave me a much deeper understanding of Saint Sophrony and she writes beautifully.
Ian Prior (verified owner) –
I highly recommend this book because it presents a view of painting that is rare these days. It has helped me to articulate the doubts and uneasiness that I have felt about my own painting.
Fr. Paul Martin (verified owner) –
As a priest, I have a particular interest in the arts. This book gives a saints perspective on aesthetics which is very valuable and helpful. Further, I am very impressed by the quality of the binding and the price, which is most reasonable. Thank you! I’ll pass the word on.