Inside this volume are more than 700 drawings of saints and feast days to be used as prototypes. The basic source reference is the Stroganov Family Iconpainter’s Handbook, published in Slavonic in the mid-nineteenth century, from the sixteenth-century originals.
The publication of this patternbook provides a long-awaited and much needed English translation of a recognized and acknowledged classic for both the student and the professional iconographer.
The Stroganov Patternbook, or Podlinnik, of Russian origin, perfectly complements the Byzantine Painters' Manual, or Hermeneia, of Dionysios of Fourna (Oakwood Publications, 1990) as a formidable basic reference text on iconography. The Patternbook is designed to serve as a indispensable tool for both the studio and the library, providing a wealth of material to the student of iconology, and being invaluable to the practicing iconographer.
The line drawings of figures, icons, and scenes represent patters of Russian icon-writing following the council of the Hundred Chapters (1552), free from Eastern influence. Along with the complete descriptions of colors, clothing, and other details, this book "should enhance significantly the ability of iconographers and researchers to complete their tasks.
The appearance of this Podlinnik is certainly the answer to many prayers, and special recognition must be extended to Fr Christopher Kelley for his untiring efforts at translating this classic. The enlarged illustrations, headnotes, glossary of Russian terms, and comparative index of saints according to the liturgical year, as well as the colorful historical background of the Stroganovs by John Barns, will certainly serve serious students, art historians, and professional iconographers for years to come.
Dennis G. Bell, President
St John of Damascus Assn. of Iconographers, Iconologists, and Architects
