Iconography Retreat at Mount Angel Abbey

A total of 33 icons were written by those attending the Classical Iconography Institute’s Summer Iconography Intensive Retreat at Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon this summer.  Students traveled from out of state and around Oregon to learn the ancient sacred liturgical art of egg tempera iconography in the idyllic hilltop setting of the Abbey where icon writing centered around the monastic liturgy of the hours.  Five students from the Benedictine monastic community joined us for a week of painting iconographic prayers.

First, a little Iconography background

What is Egg Tempera?

Not to be confused with delicious tempura, egg tempera is a binding agent made from egg yolk, red wine (or red wine vinegar) plus water which becomes “egg emulsion,” when mixed with dry earth ochres and ground minerals transforms into the pigments used for centuries to create deeply luminous images.

What is Traditional Gesso?

Icons are painted on wooden boards that have been prepared with traditional gesso, a mixture of ground calcium carbonate (marble or chalk), rabbit skin or hide glue, water and sometimes gelatin.  This ancient formula has been used for centuries to serve as the painting substrate which is bound to cheesecloth dipped in special hide or skin glue that affixes the cloth to the wood.  Gesso is cooked slowly at low temperature until it is smooth as cream and while it is still warm, the mixture is painted onto the wood in as many as twenty layers. It is a time consuming process because each layer must be allowed to fully cure before progressing to the next, symbolic of the learning process.  After days of drying, the gesso hardens and iconographers sand the gessoed boards, polishing them to a smooth, marble-like finish, ready for egg tempera painting.

We teach this process twice a year so that students may “pay it forward” to the next iconographer as everyone in our program received their icon board specially prepared for them by other students.  We call it our Gesso Party and anyone is welcome to come learn.

Painting Technique

There are many different painting techniques employed in writing an icon, ranging from puddling a petit lac to dry brushing.  One of the distinguishing characteristics of egg tempera icon painting is the multitude of thin, transparent glazes of color which inspire deeply lustrous and glowing images to gently emerge – perfect for depicting a glorified saint, the Mother of God, and our Lord Himself.

Each successive layer of color brings the image into sharper focus for us to see, a perfect metaphor for beauty leading us to Truth.

Christ is the First Icon

Christ is the first icon, which is why in our program every beginning student starts by writing the image of His Holy Face called the Mandylion, which is a Byzantine Greek term meaning cloth or napkin, referring back to the story of King Abgar recorded by the fourth century church historian, Eusebius of Caesaria.  He wrote that King Abgar V of Edessa asked Jesus to come to his kingdom to cure him of an illness.  Abgar received a letter in reply from Jesus, declining the invitation, but promising a future visit by one of His disciples.  One of the seventy, Thaddeus of Edessa, is said to have come to Edessa with a cloth bearing the imprint of Christ’s face – the first icon of Christ – which healed the king.

This icon has many other names such as The Holy Face, Acheiropoieta (image not made by human hands), or the Image of Edessa and is related to Veronica’s Veil and the Shroud of Turin.  We choose Christ’s face as our entry into iconography prayer because Christ underlies every icon.  Learning to pray with His Holy Face facilitates the grace to continue.

Gaze, Consider, Contemplate

Acquiring skills and writing the icon itself is a process that cannot be rushed.  There will be times when all you can do is sit and wait for layers of paint to dry.  That is the invitation to gaze, consider and contemplate the face of Christ, infusing the icon being written with prayer.

Summer Iconography Retreat at Mount Angel Abbey

After a long journey, iconography has returned to its birthplace on the Mount Angel hilltop.  This summer, thirty dedicated students practiced this prayerful vocation in peace at the Abbey, experiencing Benedictine hospitality.  Abbey bells simultaneously summoned students to pray the Liturgy of the Hours while granting the icons permission to dry. Completing a first icon in just one week is challenging work, but also very fruitful, leading us to persevere, practice humility, and open our hearts in prayer.

Please enjoy these memorable moments at the iconography retreat at Mount Angel.  You are invited to join us for next summer’s Iconography Intensive Retreat July 7-12, 2024.  To be notified of classes, open registration and receive occasional iconography-related news, please sign up to receive the Institute’s emails.

CLICK ANY IMAGE TO VIEW IN LARGE FORMAT LIGHTBOX

We began the retreat with introductions and a talk by Fr. Jon:

Day 1 Photos – Beginning:

Day 1 Photos – Advanced:

In between writing icons, we learned about brush calligraphy from Father Philip Waibel who helped us come up with some new techniques for iconographic inscriptions.  Father Philip is the Abbey Calligrapher and has decades of experience in this liturgical art.

Day 1 Photos – Advice from the Scriptorium:

Day 2 Photos – Beginning:

Day 2 Photos – Advanced:

Day 3 of both Beginning & Advanced:

Brother Albert’s “show and tell” of the Abbey’s collection of illuminated manuscripts was awe inspiring.  The delicate, intricate illuminations, coupled with minuscule and absolutely perfect script was breathtaking.

Day 3 – Tour of Illuminated Manuscripts:

Day 4 Photos – Beginning:

Day 4 Photos Water Gilding Demonstration:

We gathered on the steps of the Abbey Church to take our final class photo with Abbot Jeremy before our celebratory lunch and goodbyes.  Thank you everyone for your role in making this retreat a transformational experience.

To receive advance notification of next year’s Summer Iconography Intensive Retreat at Mount Angel Abbey (July 7-12, 2024) and upcoming year-round classes at our Portland location, sign up to receive the Institute’s emails.