With inverse perspective the lines of a building do not converge on a point on the horizon, inside the painting, but instead they converge on us, the viewers. This serves to include us in the action depicted. Inverse perspective also gives us the sense that the persons depicted are looking out at us. It is as though the image is drawn not from our own point of view but theirs.

Inverse perspective also draws our attention to the real space between the image and ourselves. The emphasis is on the grace coming to us through real space, rather than us being drawn into an imaginary world or reconstructed scene within the picture.

Icons do not attempt to create a great sense of depth. They do not use enough highlighting and perspective to affirm that the material world is real and good and part of the spiritual life. Nevertheless, things are kept somewhat more on a plane than in naturalistic painting. In a group icon, like that of Mid-Pentecost for example, people in the rear will be shown the same size, or sometimes even larger, than those closer. Every person is thus kept intimate with the viewer. The mystery of the person overcomes the limits of physical space and distance.

Why else do icons retain this flatness? It helps us to pass through the icon to the persons and the events depicted. The aim of the icon is not to replace the subjects depicted, but to bring us into living relationship with them. This explains why statues are not as a rule used in the icon tradition. Their three-dimensionality makes them too self-contained.

Flatness can also be seen as an intentional weakness, a deliberate imperfection that constantly reminds us that this image is not the reality but a door to its prototype. There is also an honesty in this flatness. There is no attempt to make the picture plane what it can never be, a three-dimensional object, let alone the real thing itself. Incidentally it is this honesty to the picture plane that inspired the American art movement called Color Field painting of the 1940s and 1950s.

Planarity also gives much greater freedom to arrange things according to their spiritual importance rather than limiting them to their position in three-dimensional space. The figures within the icon of Christ’s birth, for example, are often arranged in three bands to represent the heavenly, earthly and unitary realms, and also in a circle centered on the Christ child. This symbolic arrangement would not be possible if the event were depicted naturalistically, with figures receding toward the distance.

Sometimes a building is shown as though seen simultaneously from left and right, below and above. This helps us to see things as God sees them, and as they are in themselves and not merely as they appear from our single viewpoint, limited as this is to one place at a time. The same multi-view perspective is sometimes applied to time, where the same person is depicted more than once in the same image, such as with Christ in the Nativity icon.

The icon tradition can also place an important person in an event at which they were not historically present, but in which they later came to participate spiritually. One example is Saint Paul in the Pentecost icon. He was not even a believer at the time of Pentecost, but later came to be great among the apostles.

Other Systems

Often a personage who is more important than others will be enlarged. A typical example of this is Virgin Mary in the nativity icon. Conversely someone might be made particularly small to make a spiritual point. Christ is often depicted thus in nativity icons, to emphasize Jesus’s humility in becoming a man.

Although inverse perspective is more commonly used, we do also find instances where lines converge toward a point in the icon’s distance. This is not pursued in the systematic, mathematical way devised by the Renaissance painter, architect and sculptor Filippo Brunelleschi. In fact, when this system is used you are likely to find as many convergence points as there are objects. This in itself transports the viewer out of the static vantage point assumed by mathematical perspective and presupposes instead a much more dynamic experience, surely something closer to our actual experience of life.

Sources:

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Aidan Hart, Techniques of Icon and Wall Painting, Gracewing, 2015

Solrunn Nes, The Mystical Language of Icons, William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004

The visitor to an Orthodox church is usually impressed by the unique features and the external differences between this place of worship and those of the various traditions of Western Christianity. The rich color, distinctive iconography, and beauty of the interior of an Orthodox church are in sharp contrast to what one often finds in many Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. When one enters the interior of an Orthodox church it is like stepping into a whole new world of color and light. The art and design of the church not only create a distinctive atmosphere of worship, but also reflect and embody many of the fundamental beliefs of Orthodoxy.

Beauty and Symbols

The Orthodox Church believes that God is the creator of heaven and earth. The creator is present through his handiwork. The Orthodox Church affirms these convictions through her extensive use of material creation not only for the embellishment of her places of worship, but also in the holy eucharist (communion), the sacraments and other prayer services.

Using the gifts of creation, the interior of an Orthodox church is a place of beauty. Designed to create an atmosphere which is special, the building expresses a sense of joy and an appreciation of God’s blessings. Orthodoxy recognizes that beauty is an important dimension of human life. Through iconography and church appointments, the beauty of creation becomes a very important means of praising God. The divine gifts of the material world are shaped and fashioned by human hands into an expression of beauty which glorifies the creator.

Sacred Space

The church interior is both the background and the setting for Orthodox worship. The art and architecture are designed to contribute to the total experience of worship, which involves one’s mind, feelings, and senses. In the Orthodox tradition, there is a very strong feeling that the church is the ‘House of God’ and the place where God’s glory dwells. For this reason, all Orthodox churches are blessed, consecrated and set aside as sacred space designed for worship.

Ideally, an Orthodox church building is relatively small in size to emphasize and enhance the sense of community in worship. The church is generally constructed in the form of a cross and divided into three areas: the narthex, the nave, and the sanctuary.

The narthex is the entrance area where the faithful make an offering, receive a candle, and place it before an icon. Here, the faithful offer a personal prayer before entering the nave and joining the congregation.

The nave is the large center area of the church where the faithful gather for worship as members of the community of faith. Although most Orthodox churches in this country have pews, some follow the custom of having an open nave with few seats. On the right-hand side of the nave is often the bishop’s chair from which he presides. Even in the bishop’s absence, the chair reminds all that the parish is not an isolated entity but is part of a metropolis or diocese which the bishop heads. On the left-hand side of the nave is the pulpit where the gospel and the sermon are preached. Often the baptismal font is also placed in this area. The choir and the cantors frequently occupy spaces at the far sides of the nave.

The sanctuary is the most sacred part of the church, and the area reserved for clergy and their assistants. The sanctuary contains the holy altar and is separated from the nave by the iconostasis.

The Altar

The altar (or ‘Holy Table’) is the heart and focal point of the Orthodox church. The altar, which is usually square in shape, stands away from the wall and is covered with cloths. A tabernacle, with reserved holy communion for the sick or dying, is set upon the altar, together with candles. When the divine liturgy is not being celebrated, the book of gospels is placed in the center of the altar. Behind the altar is a large cross with the painted figure of the crucified Jesus Christ. Often the chair of the bishop is also located behind the altar.

Linking Heaven and Earth

The iconostasis is the panel of icons which separates the sanctuary from the nave. The origin of this very distinctive part of an Orthodox church is the ancient custom of placing icons on a low wall before the sanctuary. In time, the icons became fixed on a standing wall, hence the term iconostasis. In contemporary practice, the iconostasis may be very elaborate and conceal most of the sanctuary, or it may be very simple and open. The iconostasis has three entrances which are used during services. There is a ‘deacon door’ on either side, and the center entrance which is called the ‘Holy Doors.’ On the right-hand side of the iconostasis are always the icons of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. On the left-hand side are always the icons of the Virgin Mary and the patron saint or event to which the church is dedicated. In addition to these icons, others may be added, depending upon custom and space.

An icon is a holy image which is the distinctive art form of an Orthodox church. An icon may be a painting of wood, on canvas, a mosaic or a fresco. Occupying a very prominent place in Orthodox worship and theology, icons depict Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the saints and angels. They may also portray events from the scriptures or the history of the church, such as the birth of Jesus, the Resurrection, or Pentecost.

The icon is not simply decorative, inspirational, or educational. Most importantly, it signifies the presence of the person depicted. The icon is like a window linking heaven and earth. Orthodox churches have icons not only on the iconostasis but also on the walls, ceilings, and in arches. Above the sanctuary in the apse, there is very frequently a large icon of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. The Orthodox Church believes that Mary is the human person closest to God. This very prominent icon recalls her important role in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

The icon of Christ the Pantocrator, is on the ceiling or in the dome. This icon portrays Jesus Christ who reigns as lord of heaven and earth. Looking downward, it appears as though the whole church and all of creation comes from him. Looking upward, there is the sense that all things direct us to Jesus.

Source:

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America