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T H E C O M M I S S I O N P R O C E S S
Ordering
a Holy Icon is a unique, humble and blessed experience. Unlike
mass-produced printed icons, a commissioned Holy Icon written by
the hand of Magdalene Grace Deane is made with a tradition of prayer and
meticulous ancient technique. Each Holy Icon contains hundreds of finely
applied layers of transparent, hand-ground fresh egg tempera paint.
Carefully applied gesso (made of fine Italian alabaster and marble) and
studio-formulated varnish are also applied in multiple layers. The
exquisite bespoke Linden wood panel is prayerfully crafted in Italy, in
an ancient liturgical artist region north of Venice. The Holy Icon is
never a "product", nor is it a commodity for purchase. One
never negotiates a price for a Holy Icon as if in a foreign market
square. When commissioning a Holy Icon, one enters (along with the
Iconographer) a prayerful communion with the Holy Spirit. The
Iconographer never creates Holy Icons as "employment". The act
and service of writing and instructing Holy Iconography is that of one
who directs a ministry. An Iconographer lives
a simple and humble life with little material “extras”. The
Iconographer devotes his or her whole life to sitting or standing
prayerfully while writing Icons. Some Iconographers are fully monastic,
working within cloistered walls. Iconographers like Magdalene, who are
called to be accessible to the world–at-large, continue to maintain a
semi-monastic lifestyle. The Iconographer does not price a Holy Icon
"by the hour" because the writing process is filled with
solemnity, grace and prayer. One cannot quantify prayer. Rather, the
Iconographer will set a price for a commission by quantifying the
financial means needed (i.e. operating costs, supplies, rare materials,
etc.) for the duration of the writing and
curing process. In essence, the commissioner enters the world of the
Iconographer by his or her financial support. This communal effort of
commissioner and Iconographer ensures success that the Icon will be pure
and viable; and ever-ready to assist the viewer or seeker with
inspiration and healing. Because of this blessed process, your Holy Icon
will endure at least one thousand years as the many precious Byzantine
Holy Icons do. It will become a family heirloom, and a sacred part of
you or your parish’s legacy. Iconographer
Magdalene writes Holy Icons in the virtuosic Byzantine Cretan style. The
Cretan
style describes
an artistic school of icon painting with origins in the earliest
Byzantine period. The school flourished while Crete was under Venetian
rule during the late Middle Ages and reached its height after the Fall
of Constantinople. The style has endured, noted in European liturgical
art in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries with a major return, globally,
in the 20th century to present. The Cretan artists developed
a particular style of painting under the influence of both Eastern and
Western artistic traditions and movements. This
style is far more complex and time-consuming that other styles of
iconography. In this tradition, there are at least 300 layers of
expertly formulated paint laid by fine brush strokes on the Holy One's
skin tones. Following course, the layers of paint for the vestments and
backgrounds can be comprised of 100 paintbrush passes or more. This
“modeling” of paint application causes the Icon to literally glow, as it is illuminated by stored, refracted light. (This phenomenon
is even noticeable in dark conditions.) It is common for icon writing to
take 2-3 months, and more for larger and more complex works, to be fully
completed for shipment. Prices will vary greatly according to Icon panel
size and complexity of subject.
O R D E R I N G
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