EDITORIAL
This is the second part of the three-part series dedicated to Orthodox Iconography.
This volume begins with Professor Emerita Annemarie Weyl Carr’s article entitled ‘More or Less Byzantine? Reflections on an Icon at Sinai’, where the author offers a wonderful brief account of the evolution of the Byzantine icon from the sixth century to the thirteenth. She also offers an insightful study of the different purposes assigned to the depicted image of the icon of St Marina of Sinai by the Greek and the Roman Church respectively. Dr Freeman’s article, under the title ‘Visualising Divine Descent in Byzantine Church Art’, successfully searches for the ways Byzantine artists drew on biblical narratives of the Spirit’s descent to illustrate the Eucharistic mystery. In this way, iconography becomes a theological instructor for the worshippers. Dr Kordis offers us an excellent study of the question of beauty in Paul Klee’s thought, comparing it insightfully with the concept of beauty inherent in the Byzantine iconographer’s mind: the koinonetic reference of the latter makes the considerable difference. Finally, Dr Mitrovic offers us a brilliant and learned paper focusing upon the notion of play as an essential part of the very core of the Byzantine iconography, thus deciphering the latter’s hidden spiritual core. Both Dr Kordis and Dr Mitrovic are also world-class practicing iconographers.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who contributed to this volume. A third volume will follow that will conclude this series, a series that tries to give an initial account of contemporary Orthodox Iconography today.
– Fr Nikolaos Loudovikos, Senior Editor