Class Description
What is an icon? How does one interpret icons? How do they change through time? We will learn how to “read” icons and explore the main icon types, styles, use of imagery, and symbols from their Byzantine origin to their contemporary renaissance in post-Soviet Russia. We will unravel the meaning of mysterious allegories and look at the most unusual images, such as the six-armed Christ, the three-armed Virgin Mary, the Orthodox centaur, and the dove with four heads.
In addition to icons themselves, we will read The Life Written by Himself by Archpriest Avvakum, a vivid and vigorous account of the schism that split the Russian Orthodox Church in the seventeenth century, as well as stories by Nikolai Leskov, Ivan Bunin, Evgeny Zamyatin, and excerpts from Searching for Icons in Russia by Vladimir Soloukhin.
“The Icon of the Day” rubric will be made available by the instructor. The history and fascinating stories of each icon will be analyzed according to iconographic type, subject, icon-painting school, liturgical calendar, and symbolism.
All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.
Julia Kriventsova Denne studied literature at St. Petersburg University, Russia, and teaches Russian literature and culture in the Chicago area.
Come see a preview of this class at our Open House on May 17!
What to Expect
Format: Virtual
Class Capacity: 30
Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged
Materials List
Required
- Archpriest Avvakum. The Life Written by Himself. Columbia University Press, 2021. ISBN-13: 978-0231198097
- Other Instructor-Distributed Materials
A Brief Syllabus
- What is an icon?
- Reverse Perspective
- Who is who on an icon?
- The Iconographical Cannon
- Iconography in Ukraine and Georgia
- 20th and 21st century icons
Cost and Registration
6 Sessions, $270 ($243 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($270), Community Supported ($250), and Sponsor ($290). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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