Customer Reviews

Sacred Doorways: A Beginner's Guide to Icons

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I've always liked icons but I never "got" them. They were pretty, but sacred? I didn't understand why anyone would think of them that way. Then in France I was privileged to hear a lecture by a real expert about the Bayeux Tapestry which, I know, is not an icon but stay with me please. As she went along explaining the tapestry she began to read the various scenes and say things like "Because he is holding his hands this way and facing here, you can tell he is lying." I quickly realized the the Bayeux Tapestry wasn't just a comic book-like depiction of the Invasion of 1066 it was a novel!! "Well now," I thought to myself, "what's in those icons I could never understand before?" I started looking for a book. Then, my misery at not understanding was made even worse when on the trip to the Soviet Union, I met a man who trusted me enough to show me the icons he had hidden from the Soviet authorities. I looked harder for a book. Over the years, I found lots of books with collections of icons. Scholarly works on a particular schools of work were also easy to find. But I could never find a book that could help someone like me who was raised a protestant and was hooked on the printed word for information, get beyond the surface of an icon. That is until I stumbled across THIS book.

This book is a first-rate introduction to all aspects of icons from their history, to their construction, to their spiritual significance. All of this context has helped add for me, the texture and meaning I always knew was there but I didn't know how to get to. I am still a novice and I may never break free of my addiction to getting information via the printed word, but I am starting to hear the voices of the artists who made (and continue to make) these sacred images.

Linette Martin an Anglican artist has written a very good book for artists and a satisfactory book for those who are trying to understand icons from a religious perspective.

This is a very detailed art book which explains how the icon artists approached their work. Ms. Martin ties the art techniques of icons with what she believes are the religious view point of the icon painters.

If you are a searcher, one who is looking to convert to the Eastern Church, one who is trying to understand the mystical roles of icons in the religious life of Orthodox Christians, then this book will in my opinion not meet your needs.

This is not an easy read. I would say that this book is more of an advanced guide to icons, not a beginner's book, for one who is just starting to investigate Orthodox Christianity.

If you are an artist, trying to expand your knowledge of this religious art form, then I can highly recommend this work.

To fully understand the Icon it is best if one is living in the same Tradition which created the Icon, that is Orthodoxy. Out side of Orthodoxy the Icon loses some of its deep roots, some of the mystical, which sets the icon in an "art" arena of it's own. For an icon is not meant to be viewed as "art," but as a window to heaven. Therefore the only proper place for the icon is in the Church.
The above said, the book "Sacred Doorways" is a very practical intro into the what, and why of Icons. It examines the practical physical side of the Icon...why is Christ holding his hand like that, what materials are Icons made with, and the like. Which is, indeed, needed to know so that one can begin to read the message and meaning of the Icon.
So the book is as it says "a beginner's guide to Icons," and is a nice launching pad for those looking for practical basic information on Icons. In this way the book does just what it says it will do, and that makes it a good book. Yet, it would be a shame for one to stop with this book, because the book does not delve the depth of the Icon in it's rich Orthodox spirituality. Then again it never promises to do so. The book is a good starting point, but it would be a shame to make it the start and end. It is none the less well written and easy to understand, a very pleasant read. The author is clearly very educated in the practical sense of Icons. For someone studying icons it is a good book for the library.

Sacred Doorways is set up in different sections about icons, such as the history of icons, the materials used in icons, the symbols and visual languages in icons, etc. Unfortunately, the sections are written like a reference book, kind of choppy from one subject to the next, rather than someone talking to you about the subject.

For instance, the history section is basically an expanded timeline. Kinda like reading a history textbook. The materials section is in alphabetical order of the material. But some definitions include terms that are defined only later on in the section. So one definition refers to "gesso", which isn't defined until later in the section. Frustrating if you're reading the book from beginning to end.

The book does include a few color pictures of icons, but it doesn't talk about specific icon-makers. I've heard that Andrei Rublev was a great icon-maker; after reading this book, I still don't know why. I did, however, enjoy the section on what the hand formations and gestures in icons mean.

The book would have been better if it were written in a more flowing style. The final section (10 pages) about the theology of icons was written by the author's professor. It was good reading and was more what I was looking for in an introduction to icons.

Sacred Doorways would be useful as a reference if you're reading another icon book, but on it's own, it really isn't that fascinating.

This is a really great introduction to what the symbols, colors, and items mean in iconography. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in iconography.

I checked out 4 or 5 library texts on icons, and this one was by far the easiest to read, browse, and refer to. Martin writes in a straightforward way that is comprehensible to non-art students or those just starting out in the study of icons. Pleasurable enough for bedtime reading! I think the most interesting part was the large middle section with an alphabetized explanation of symbols and images.

I really liked this book. It is very well written and had a nice way of putting complex ideas into really simple terms.I would say it is the perfect book to give to someone who is trying to find out what iconography is all about.

This book helped me to understand the importance of the icon in the Orthodox faith. There was an extensive overview of the history, meaning and technique involved with icons. I have ordered additional books about the Eastern Orthodox church as a result.

Very disappointing. I find myself constantly frustrated by the lack of citations and sources. Iconology is difficult enough thanks to hundreds of years of regional, political and theological bias, without uncited 'facts' being dispensed a mile a minute. There are too many statements made in this text that are not clear as to where the idea came from and in what context the statement is made. Additionally, from the iconic traditions that I have studied elsewhere (Prosopon, Hexaemeron, other historical and iconic texts), some of the information is incorrect or at best misleading.

I appreciate the author's casual voice, and the breadth of coverage is ambitious, but in my opinion (and it is only an opinion) the book is a superficial collection of factoids and anecdotes that may be more confusing than helpful.

UPDATE: Icons (Temporis Collection) is a significantly better text on the history of the icon and the images are simply beautiful: [...]cr-mr-title

If you really want to learn how to paint an icon in the Orthodox tradition I would suggest taking a workshop with an Orthodox iconographer. If you would like to learn to paint icons using egg tempera in more of a Western style I recommend purchasing Koo Schadler's book on the subject [...] (if unavailable @ Amazon it can be ordered directly from [...]).

This was the first book I've read on the subject of icons, and it did not disappoint. I read it because I am interested in learning more about both Orthodoxy and icon painting.

I have an MFA in oil painting and now want to paint icons in the traditional manner. I would very much appreciate any other recommendations on the technique and practice of icon painting. If you know of any good titles in English, please let me know. Thank you!