Watch

The Art Behind the Icon

Creator:
Published:
November 28, 2023
November 28, 2022
Watch this coptic artist show the magic behind icon painting.

Fadi Mikhail was initially apprehensive about iconography. He saw the art form as meticulous, even boring. All that changed after he watched an iconographer paint — and then tried it himself. Now, he finds beauty and depth in the process of iconography and sees the bigger picture behind each painting.

"You go into wonderful cathedrals in Italy and France, and you see the magnitude of the artwork and how many people have been involved in making this very grand place. And it's life changing when you see it."

Video Transcript

Fadi Mikhail: We always think about an icon as the final image, but the process of making the final image is just as exciting, I think. But the icons, whenever I'd see them, they always looked so finely painted that I could just imagine how meticulously they'd have to be painted and how boring I thought that was. I thought, "God, I never want to try that. That looks really boring."

So I went to watch an iconographer paint in L.A., and it just struck me how he also loved the material — the smell of the material, and the process of preparing the board even before it was painted. I thought, "Yeah, that's it. That's my in. I love that."

You go into wonderful cathedrals in Italy and France, and you see the magnitude of the artwork and how many people have been involved in making this very grand place. And it's life changing when you see it. And not always for the right reasons, I fear. Because we've made it so beautiful, we actually miss the beauty and the simplicity of the person who is the main reason for it all.

This might be or look like an archaic way of working, but actually, there's something very real about it — and true and authentic about it that isn't just about the novelty of doing it that way, but about knowing that it's not as shallow as it could be. It's deep — it’s going to the fullest depth that you possibly could to make a work of art.

The mineral world — when it comes to getting the pigment powder. And the animal world — where we use eggs to make our paint. And then we, as man, we all come together, and we bring all these things together, and we create something to both glorify God's creation, men, and help them on their journey of glorification to become more like God. And also to glorify God and to say, “Thank you for everything you've given us.”

So I love that all-encompassing, bringing together everything God has given us, in the creative process to remake it and repurpose it to give back to him in the end. Which I think is a lovely sort of dance in life, a very enjoyable sort of poetic dance.

Creators:
Grotto
Published:
November 28, 2023
November 28, 2022
On a related note...
Bringing Data Analytics to the Church's Climate Change Fight

Bringing Data Analytics to the Church's Climate Change Fight

Grotto Shares

Things To Never Say to a Grieving Person

Things To Never Say to a Grieving Person

Stephanie DePrez

Saving Migrant Lives in the Arizona Desert

Saving Migrant Lives in the Arizona Desert

Grotto

5 Priceless Gifts We Forget To Give

5 Priceless Gifts We Forget To Give

Lillian Fallon

Benefits of Atheist-Catholic Relationships

Benefits of Atheist-Catholic Relationships

Isaac Huss

This Poet is Fighting Injustice with Creativity

This Poet is Fighting Injustice with Creativity

Grotto

I Got My Dream Job with NY Fashion Week, Then Quit

I Got My Dream Job with NY Fashion Week, Then Quit

Olivia T. Taylor

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas

Grotto

The Art Behind the Icon

The Art Behind the Icon

Grotto

Settling into a New City? Finding a Faith Community Can Help

Settling into a New City? Finding a Faith Community Can Help

Sara Thoms

What It Really Looks Like to Live an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle

What It Really Looks Like to Live an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle

Emily Mae Mentock

Starting a Business: Your Checklist

Starting a Business: Your Checklist

Grotto

4 Unexpected Benefits of Volunteering

4 Unexpected Benefits of Volunteering

Caitlan Rangel

"In the Waters of Lourdes"

"In the Waters of Lourdes"

Josie Kuhlman

Why 'Living for the Weekend' is No Way to Live

Why 'Living for the Weekend' is No Way to Live

Patrick Schmadeke

Lifting up Black Stories: 3 Artists Fighting Racism

Lifting up Black Stories: 3 Artists Fighting Racism

Grotto

Why Did This Marshmello Music Video Top 1 Billion Views?

Why Did This Marshmello Music Video Top 1 Billion Views?

Josh Noem

Honoring Black History Month 2018

Honoring Black History Month 2018

Grotto Shares

Forgiving When It Feels Impossible

Forgiving When It Feels Impossible

Megan Ulrich

6 Simple Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

6 Simple Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

Megan Ulrich

newsletter

We’d sure love to be pals.

Like what you see? Make it easy on yourself and we’ll meet you right in your inbox next time.