The problem of "icon-painting tradition" in late icons from the Ruthenian parts of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (2nd half of the 17th - 18th century) : in search of new research paradigms

Bibliogr. s. 86-95

Members of the Orthodox Church and of the Greek Orthodox Church on the Ruthenian lands of the Polish Commonwealth were adopting the artistic solutions of the West to the icon painting. However, there still existed a need to make reference to the most important theological thoughts associated with icons and to "the icon painting tradition". As a matter of fact, in the historical reception "the icon painting tradition" was a variously defined in time and space set of values, although members of Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Churches not always were aware of it. Paweł Miliukow and Barbara Dąb-Kalinowska, accusing the 18th century's orthodox circles of ruining the old tradition by creating a new one, have failed to notice that it is in the need of having a tradition where the affection to the Byzantine culture is being manifested. Only the comprehensive attempts to the late icon painting, without "filtering" it with respect to the style, allow to assess its condition, ideological contents and the degree of adherence to "the tradition of icon painting" defined adequately to a given era. Starting from the second half of the 17th century, the icons require an analysis in terms of the presence of motives or artistic solutions which constitute the understanding of "the tradition of icon painting" in a given time. Helpful in the analysis is comparing the works of artists ooperating with both the Church and the Orthodox Church.