Przestrzeń celowo ograniczona - rola kanonu w sztuce ikony

Abstract

The aim of this article is an attempt to present what is the role of a canon in the art of the icon. A canon is a set of rules which precisely determine the subject and the composition of the work as well as its realization. The canon constitutes specific character of the icon and serves its dogmatic validity. It is a norm recognized by the Church and accepted by the authors as their own. It gives the icon its pictorial character, but above all it serves theology — thanks to making a depiction unreal, the icon is to bear testimony to heavenly life. It is not a simple imitation of reality, but it seeks artistic expression for the experience of salvation and the glory of heaven. Although the canon limits the painter, it is treated above all as a kind of asceticism. Resigning from discretion is to create possibility for even more profound contact with God and a feel of his mysteries.