Weeding Bed Decorated

AM Kopirovsky of Coptic iconography

From my bessedy with am_kop September 19, 2009 (several coiffed form). Alexander M. Kopirovsky (hereinafter MCA) - Professor Holy Orthodox-Filaretovskogo hristianskogo Institute (on Moscow).

Koptskaya VI century icon "Christ and holiness Mine" (Luvr, Paris)

I: me these are always very interested in the Coptic iconography. Some absolutely amazing icon

AMK: few of them left the unit. Famous icon of "Christ and St. Mina" when savior hugging saint Mina like this over his shoulder. The seventh century, is an early iconography.

I: Is there any literature on this subject in Russian?

AMK: in Russian literature of doubt that was in English mostly. The French do smoke.

I: She told me always something reminiscent of children's perception. Such an impression as if a child has drawn.

AMK: It's not entirely true, honestly speaking. Simply Eastern tradition, the Copts in particular (this is also the ancient Egyptians), they have pictorial tradition, though was, but by the time the Copts accepted Christianity, Egypt has been, so to speak, in deep decline, the Romans out of it all, naturally, forced out. That is, it was pathetic glimpses of tradition, they all lost. Therefore, influence on the Copts are more likely to Syria. In Syria, the artistic tradition of this was not and so they worked could be a good deep, spiritual people ... And the lack of tradition caused them to move in the channels here such as to be almost children's drawings. But this must be understood: it is one thing when a child draws all the time children's drawing, there are sometimes living things like that, but it's quite by accident. And when an adult writes like a child, but just follow their tradition, then there things get interesting, because there's integrity (the main feature of any picture - it's integrity - the proper distribution of the whole space meaningful composition, the artistic transformation of reality). In all things early Coptic is all there is. But the form such that people accustomed to to European painting shocking ...
So there is specificity. But it will be a very long time to get used to, because there is, for example, Abraham and Isaac, is often repeated; he is himself all the strange, he has such a sword that's bent, just like a snake. This is a special form ...