Christ, The Unsleeping Eye icon Print

The Unsleeping Eye is one of unusual icon types and is rarely seen. It depicts Christ Immanuel, that is the youthful or child Christ reclining on a bed. Mary is on the left side. Above the youth is a flying angel of the Seraphim rank, beside Him is another angel holding the cross (eight-pointed, as the traditional Russian cross was). The scene in a paradise-like garden, filled with whimsical trees and flowers. The general meaning of this icon is that, even while Christ slept in His humanity, in His divinity he never sleeps, but is always conscious of the Universe. The first time I saw this icon my heart gave a jump, and I kept that idea until I was able to realize it a couple of years later. It was before I started accepting commissions. At that time, I tried to share my personal spiritual journey through icon painting. Perhaps, that's why it remained in my private collection for so long. As I think of it now, the very idea of ever-wakeful presence and awareness appealed to me. I knew much less about the nature of consciousness, awakening and enlightenment then, but it was some deeper knowledge and understanding that drew my attention.  The image is based on one of 16th century Russian icons. The story is connected with two different texts, a Psalm (121:4) “Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep”, and a Hymn (Genesis 49:9) “…reclining he slept as a lion, and as a [lion’s] whelp; who shall rouse him up?”. ** All my icons are created in accordance with the canon, iconographic traditions and techniques. Traditional icons are based on earlier icons, selected and approved by the Orthodox Church.  Size 11x14 inches, Egg tempera, 24 karat gold and metal leaf on gessoed wood, hand-painted frame. This icon is painted on a custom-made icon panel (linden wood and natural gesso), imported from Ukraine. Wired and ready to hang. Includes a Certificate of Authenticity, signed by the artist. The colours may slightly vary between the photo and the actual image. (Over the years of painting in egg tempera and trying to take the best photos, I discovered that photos cannot reproduce the luminosity and depth of egg tempera and the warm sheen of gold leaf.) About the one-of-a-kind hand-painted frame, egg tempera on metal leaf: I developed my unique technique that imitates traditional Russian "oklad" (ornamental covers on icons). This technique is inspired by Italian sgraffito. About egg tempera: Egg tempera paint is made of pure pigments (dry coloring powders) mixed in egg emulsion (egg yolk and water mixed in the 1:1 ratio, with a few drops of vinegar to preserve the mixture). Egg emulsion dries quickly and adheres firmly. Egg tempera paintings are long-lasting; icons painted in the 12th to 14th centuries survive to this day. Egg tempera is painted on wooden panels prepared with a gesso base that promotes adhesion and creates a smooth luminous surface. Mostly, egg tempera is applied in small brush strokes on top of another thoroughly dried coat of paint. Thus, the two layers of paint are mixed optically but not physically. This creates a unique transparency that is not possible by mixing paints directly. This glazing produces clear, pure colours - egg tempera's greatest advantage over oil painting. About icon boards: Russian style icon boards are made of Linden wood, solid board with a “Kovcheg” (a recessed rectangular central area; "kovcheg" is an ancient Russian word, meaning "ark" in English). Solid oak braces are inserted in grooves cut into the back of each board across the wood grain, to minimize board deformation and warping. The boards have linen under the gesso. The gesso contains the natural products only - chalk, water and natural glue. Each workshop has a unique recipe of this kind of gesso. These boards were manufactured in the Ukraine and feature the stamp that certifies the originality and authenticity of this workshop's technology.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:8 W x 10 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:13.25 W x 15.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.