Traditional Byzantine Iconography by Paul Azkoul
Paul Azkoul began painting traditional Byzantine style icons in the 1980s, attempting to folllow the stylization of Photios Kontoglou.
Entries by Paul Azkoul
The Alliance Between the Deconstruction of Orthodox Iconology and Modernized Orthodox Theology
Paul Azkoul / Traditional Byzantine Iconography (GOC-K) “We do not change the boundaries marked out by our fathers; we keep the traditions we have received. We beseech you therefore the people of God, the faithful flock, to hold fast the traditions of the church. Unless by the gradual taking away of what has been handed […]
The Uninitiated and the Legacy of Traditional Orthodox Iconography
The reason for this paper is because there is a misconception among many non-Orthodox who believe that simply because they wish to be iconographers and to paint icons they are permitted to do so. There is also a misconception among some Orthodox Christians who believe that simply because they hold membership in the Church they […]
On the Differences of Western Religious Art and Orthodox Iconography
I I would like to discuss, as an Orthodox iconographer, why the religious art that comes from Western secular societies seeks to simply portray images of Christ, Mary, the Theotokos, and His saints as naturalistic beings, bereft of any special dignity, or divinity, that is, their depiction of these holy men and women, ignorance of […]
The Icon of the Hospitality of Abraham
“Moreover, we decree that from henceforth the image of the Lord Sabaoth shall no longer be depicted or made into an icon, for no one has seen the Lord Sabbaoth, that is, the Father, in the flesh.” [Decree of The Great Council of Moscow, 1666] hy do certain Orthodox continue to accept and to paint […]
The Icon: A Manifestation of Theology
In the original Greek, the word for “image” (imago, Latin) is “icon.” Iconography began in the Old Testament. Images were indeed permitted in the Scriptures. God forbade the Hebrews to create images of God, because no one had ever seen Him: “And the Lord spake to you out of the midst of the fire a […]
Influence
In 1943 he began to write about this sacred art in an extensive and authoritative way, wishing to explain its features and to show its enormous value. In 1960 he wrote Ekphrasis – the explanation of Orthodox Iconography. This book is a valuable guide for the iconographer to learn the technique of painting the icon […]