The icon is a window into the spiritual world. It reflects artistic knowledge and the development of the soul.
Iconography of Sophia Savalas
SEPTEMBER 14, 1938 TO APRIL 29, 2009
Sophia Savalas was a first-generation Greek American, who was born into a family whose legacy of iconography and art is centuries old. Her grandfather, Constantine, and her uncle, Theodore, were famed Greek iconographers in the 19th and 20th centuries. In line with this rich tradition, her Byzantine icons are bathed in luminosity generated through the ancient use of layers of pigments, egg tempera and 24 karat gold leaf.
The icon is a window into the spiritual world. It reflects artistic knowledge and the development of the soul.
The writing of an icon is a spiritual discipline more akin to meditation. Every detail from the preparation of the board, materials and colors has a spiritual meaning. There are no random elements in an icon – everything and every color and line is placed there with purpose and meaning.
The colors used in icons are canonic, and the 7-color spectrum from red through green to violet carries meaning in holy tradition.
As an example in painting an icon of the holy mother, Panayia, the outer garment is midway between earthly red and heavenly violet, for she is our mediatrix. Her inner garment is the light blue of heaven, while her son’s inner garment is the deep blue of high heaven. Colors are put on the icon in layers diluted with pure water and egg yoke. These layers are carefully “floated” on the board. This is called the “petite lac” method that manifests light, energy, and spirit.