Coptic icons

[Jackie G]

I am a student of iconography and very drawn to the Coptic style, especially that of Issac Fanous. Is there any one out there who can guide my to a teacher in the Buffalo New York area? Does anyone know the color palette used?

Thank you
Jackie G

 

[dzheremi]

Hi Jackie. Welcome to CF. I don't know anything about the technical aspects of iconography, but you might want to try to get in contact with the people at the monastery of St. Shenouda the Archimandrite in Rochester. It's a little ways from Buffalo, but I visited there some years ago, and from what I remember they had plenty of Coptic icons, both in the 'neo-Coptic' style of Isaac Fanous and in the earlier (I don't know what you'd call it; 'pre-neo', I guess?) style, a la Yuhanna El Armani (iconographer whose work is in the Hanging Church in Cairo) or others from the 18th-19th centuries.

 

[Tigger45]

Hi Jackie. Welcome to CF. I don't know anything about the technical aspects of iconography, but you might want to try to get in contact with the people at the monastery of St. Shenouda the Archimandrite in Rochester. It's a little ways from Buffalo, but I visited there some years ago, and from what I remember they had plenty of Coptic icons, both in the 'neo-Coptic' style of Isaac Fanous and in the earlier (I don't know what you'd call it; 'pre-neo', I guess?) style, a la Yuhanna El Armani (iconographer whose work is in the Hanging Church in Cairo) or others from the 18th-19th centuries.

Obviously I like Coptic iconography. Would you mind posting some of the different Coptic styles?

 

[dzheremi]

Obviously I like Coptic iconography. Would you mind posting some of the different Coptic styles?

The modern style has a somewhat brighter palette and fairly 'sharp' outlines compared to the earlier, which are rounder and generally darker/more muted:

Christ Pantocrator, c. 10th century, Monastery of St. Anthony, Red Sea

Abba Anthony and Abba Paul of Thebes, Hanging Church 18th century (? - I've seen this credited to Yuhanna al Armani and to others a bit later in the 19th; Yuhanna el Armani died in 1786.)

Christ and St. Mina, Fayoum Oasis, c. 6th century (one of the earliest Coptic icons still in existence)

These aren't really "different styles" in themselves, but they are different than the modern icons in certain ways. The modern icons are fine, I suppose, but I do wish that both were maintained with equal vigor. Now it can be kind of difficult to find the older (pre-19th century) style.

 

[Jackie G]

Hi Jackie. Welcome to CF. I don't know anything about the technical aspects of iconography, but you might want to try to get in contact with the people at the monastery of St. Shenouda the Archimandrite in Rochester. It's a little ways from Buffalo, but I visited there some years ago, and from what I remember they had plenty of Coptic icons, both in the 'neo-Coptic' style of Isaac Fanous and in the earlier (I don't know what you'd call it; 'pre-neo', I guess?) style, a la Yuhanna El Armani (iconographer whose work is in the Hanging Church in Cairo) or others from the 18th-19th centuries.

DZ... Thank you for the contact information. I am definitely going to reach out to St Shenouda monastery.

 

[Jackie G]

DZ... Thank you for the contact information. I amdefinitely going to reach out to St Shenouda monastery. (I'm new at this so hope all goes well with the post)