WHAT IS AN ICON?

In 330 AD. in the small port of Byzantium, on the shores of the Bosphorus, Constantine the Great established the new capital of the Roman Empire, the City of Constantinople, place of Byzantine culture. The new center of the empire attracted the great families of Rome, craftsmen and artisians from Europe and Asia Minor, they brought their skills with them.

The word "icon" comes from the Greek word "eikon" which means image and it is given to every image representing a person or an event of his life.

The icon is a book represented through a painting; its language is written in images, figures and symbols. It has also become an instrument of the Orthodox Church to teach the faith of Christ.

The icons are hung in rows in the Orthodox Church in the screen "iconostasis" that separates the sanctuary from the public areas. Small icons were also hung in the Christian households, where they became objects of everyday worship. Through the years and to protect the paintings from further deterioration, some old icons were covered with an ornate plate of precious metals allowing only the most significant parts of the images to remain visible. As time went by, icons have become wide-spread and enjoy lasting popularity. Today they are considered valuable works of art for collectors all over the world.

Isabel Creixell's icons are hand painted over specially prepared wood and sometimes covered with embossed lamiate of silver or pewter-alloy from Europe. All her icons are unique one-of-a-kind pieces, singed, numbered and delivered with a Certificate of Authenticity.