Russian Orthodox Icons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Russian Orthodox Icons - Essay Example In each case the artefact has a clear and deliberate connection with Christian doctrine. The way the icon is constructed reveals its function within a Christian context: â€Å"The image is reduced to a minimum of detail and a maximum of expressiveness. The great majority of figures are represented with their faces turned towards the congregation, for the importance lies not only in the action and interaction of the persons represented, but also in their state, which is usually a state of prayer.† Ouspensky and Losskym, 1982, p. 27) The inclusion of the person looking at the icon is a particular feature of this art form, and it explains why so many believers developed a strong and intimate connection with particular icons. In the Russian Orthodox area there is has been particularly large selection of different icons available over many centuries, and this demonstrates how complex Russian religious experience has been. The icons in Russia are not just images: they are accompanie d by an inscription: â€Å"Without the identifying inscription there can, in general, be no icon, just as there can be no icon without the representation: worship is directed equally both to the image and the name.† (Uspenskii, 1976, p. ... .† (Ouspensky and Lossky, 1982, p. 37) As time went on, and the memory chain of tradition grew longer, special guide books or podlinniks were made, which recorded all the relevant saint’s days, and holidays, with specific colors and instructions for recording particular scenes and personalities. The Orthodox Church, more than any other branch of Christianity, has kept more faithful connections with the earliest Christian calendar, and the special services and saints days that belong to it. The icons all have their special places in the Orthodox annual rituals. From the second half of the 16th century the aim of the official Orthodox and Catholic churches to strengthen popular religiosity coincided with the demarcation and broadening of the sphere of religious art. (Tarazov and Milner-Gulland, 2002, p. 201) In the 17th century there was increasing attention to the ornamental function of the icon, and to the fashioning of elaborate frames, using craft skills rather than fi ne art skills. Because the Renaissance left Russia largely untouched, there was a continuation of medieval styles in the painting. In the 18th to the early 20th centuries there was a dramatic increase in the volume of secular craft icon painting. In this period there was increasing contact with the Western and the icon makers began to adopt Western styles. The features that now appeared in icons were â€Å"chiaroscuro, foreshortening, direct perspective and various illusionistic effects in general† (Uspenskii, 1976, p. 24) All of the most popular Western master painters from previous centuries were eagerly imitated, including Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, Cranach etc. (Tarazo and

Farther and son Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Farther and son - Essay Example His choice of theme was brave simply because in the decade of the 50's homosexuality was still an issue not spoken of or discussed openly. America was waking up to the call of the civil rights movement and it would still take her people a few more years to accept issues of such controversy. The caging effect that conventions can have on a person is also highlighted effectively by Baldwin as he depicts David's struggle with the decision of marrying Hella, simply because it was expected of him. Baldwin, however, was not intimidated by the frowns of disapproval directed his way and with great determination highlighted the plight of those forced to live in the closet simply because they are terrified of breaking conventions and not being able to measure up to the definition of "respectable" formulated by those around them. In today's world, however, when gay literature is quite common and the issue of coming out of the closet is not as burning as it was half a century ago, the greatest appeal of the novel lies in the manner in which Baldwin has sheathed his central character under layers and layers of a complex psychology. Baldwin has portrayed David not simply as a two-dimensional gay character but has breathed a life into him by depicting in great detail the inner struggles and dilemmas that he faces and how his personality is shaped and molded by his childhood experiences and the constraints that he feels because of the social conventions. At this point it cannot be denied that the most important force in David's life as a child had undoubtedly been that of his father. Even after David has grown up, one could feel the palpable presence of his father looming somewhere in the background. It is, without a doubt, the forceful personality of his father that indirectly affected David's vital decisions an d choices. The importance of David's father in David's life can be linked directly to Baldwin's relationship with his own preacher father (Allen, p.29). Baldwin believed that the influence a father exercised over his children could not be denied - his own abusive father leaving imprints of his personality permanently on young Baldwin. It is this same influence that Baldwin desired to create by depicting David's relation with his father. His main aim was to show how vital the support of a family is for a homosexual and how much influence our near and dear ones exert when it comes to the decision a homosexual makes about his lifestyle choices. David's father, although in no way bearing any resemblance to the insane, ranting and abusive father of Baldwin, was a handsome man who had a particular and active fondness for women and alcohol. Baldwin depicted him in such a way that he naturally stood out, not only as attractive but someone who possessed a great deal of easy charm, with his ruddy face, sandy hair and his readiness to laugh. Baldwin has taken care not to introduce him as a clean-cut, out-of-the-factory villain of the story. This would have robbed the novel of its unique complexity and while giving the novel an easy to understand plot, would have deprived it of psychologically complex characters. His sister, Ellen, who believed him to be negatively influencing his son, always met his promiscuousness with disapproval. Once, as David recounts, a fierce argument took place between Aunt Ellen and his father, when he returned one night drunk, as was his custom. Upon being