The Symbolism of the Color Red
by Adolf Ovchinnikov

Symbols as a Means of Accessing the Mystery of God
by Eduardo Gabriel Pérez del Lago

The Meaning of the Pantocrator in the Dome
by Photis Kontoglou

Two Worlds in Old Russian Icon Painting
by Evgeniï Trubetskoï

Review: Russian Icon Designs by Gleb Markelov
by John R. Barns

Inside the Issue 1 2003 of Iconofile: Color plates of icons and wall paintings from the first issue of Iconofile

Sankir—Underpainting of the Flesh
by Adolf N. OvchinnikovPreparing Wood Panels for Painting
Nancy Jackson and George A. O'Hanlon

Olifa: Linseed Oil Varnish for the Egg Tempera Icon
Father Simon Doolan

The Origin of the Iconography of the Mother of God
Sergeiï Alekseyev

Basic Types and Epithets of Iconography of the Mother of God
Sergeiï Alekseyev

Selected Iconography of the Mother of God
Sergeiï Alekseyev

Index of Epithets and Types of the Mother of God
John R. Barns

Selected Iconography of the Mother of God
Editors

Bibliography of the Theotokos
John R. Barns

The special double issue also features an index of epithets of the Theotokos and a bibliography of visual references to her iconography. The double issue has 80-pages—16 pages containing 26 full-color plates—many of them full-page—of icons of the Mother of God. Order a subscription today so you do not miss out on this important issue.

Archbishop Alypy
Michael Woerl

Wall Painting in the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral
Matthew Panchisin

Fresco Painting in an Orthodox Church
Father Simon Doolan

Uniting Heaven and Earth, East and West
Brother Anthony Sweere

Book Reviews and Sofia's Quiet Treasure
John R. Barns

The fifth issue of the Iconofile Journal focuses on wall painting and church decoration. Three in-depth articles cover the decoration of three modern churches using different painting techniques: acrylics, egg tempera and fresco. The articles examine the process of painting and the issues facing contemporary artists. The issue also features two book reviews and a concise guide to the Ecclesiastical Museum of History and Archaeology in Sofia, Bulgaria. The 36-page issue contains 30 full-color images of wall paintings. Examples of the inside spreads can be seen below:

The Meaning of Gold in Icon Painting
Pavel Florensky
Does the gold in a halo or gold hatching of the clothing mean anything in the icon? Father Pavel Florensky provides us with convincing evidence of the concrete-metaphysical meaning of gold in icon painting excerpted from his work, Iconostasis.

The Meaning of Gold Expands in Russian Icons
The changing worldview of 16th-century Russians gave new meaning to gold in icons. This collection of essays, written by noted authors Georges Florovsky, I. E. Grabar, S. Maslenitsin and others, provide clues as to the increasing dominance of gold in Russian icons since that time.

Gilding and Gold Painting for the Icon Painter
Julia Belova and George O’Hanlon
An introduction to gilding and gold painting with a detailed demonstration of both techniques accompanied by photographs and recipes.

The sixth issue of the Iconofile Journal focuses on gold, gilding in icons and its role and sacred meaning in icon painting. It contains articles specially written on this subject, such as "Gilding and Painting Gold on Icons"; "The Meaning of Gold in Icons" by Pavel Florensky; and "The Meaning of Gold in 16th Century Russian icons." The 36-page issue contains 30 full-color images of icon paintings. The articles were translated from original Russian texts and most appear here in English for the first time. They offer readers an invaluable resource on the importance of gold in iconography. Examples of the inside spreads can be seen below:

Theology of the Image and the Evolution of Style
Deacon Alexander Musin
From the viewpoint of icon theology, ecclesiastical art of Russia’s Synodal period is opposed to icons created in a “canonical style.” The issue of style is discussed in this article and the suppositions of icon theology are examined using the iconological description of the icon of the “Council of New Russian Martyrs and Confessors” as an example. The feature article is translated from the Russian language and appears here in English for the first time.

Icon of Saint Spyridon the Wonderworker with the Burning Brick/Tile
John R. Barns
An extraordinary event occurred at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea when Saint Spyridon defended the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, initiating an uncommon image of the saint.

This special issue of Iconofile focuses on a concern important to all iconodules: the evolution of style of the Byzantine and Orthodox icon. Among the many styles of icons, the naturalistic icons of the Synodal period in Russia posed certain problems to a small lay group whose ideas later spawned “icon theology." The 32-page issue contains full-color images of icons. The feature article was translated from original Russian texts and appears here in English for the first time.