F rom the E ditor
As the only museum in the United States dedicated to the collection and exhibition of
icons, the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Massachusetts, established the Center for
Icon Studies in 2012 to support research in iconology and iconography. We are pleased
to introduce a print version of the first compilation of papers from its online Journal of
Icon Studies.
The research presented here covers a variety of topics, from the analysis of specific
iconographic elements in icons, such as identifying new elements in traditional icons, to
a philosophical inquiry on the representation of the divine. Each contributing researcher
has a different perspective and level of experience in the field, from Engelina Smirnova,
the doyenne of iconographic studies in Russia, to Diana Dukhanova, a graduate student
at Brown University.
The editorial goal of the Journal of Icon Studies is to continue to expand the topics
espoused in the Center for Icon Studies mission statement to encompass every aspect of
religious icons and iconography—geographical, art historical, philosophical, social or
religious—and we challenge our future contributors to broaden the type and scope of
research to appeal to the widest range of readers.
We hope that this publication will encourage the submission of original research—by
both experts and novices in the field—-to the Journal of Icon Studies that advances our
understanding and appreciation of this centuries-old religious tradition and art form.
Raoul Smith is Professor
Emeritus of Computer and
Information Science at
Northeastern University and
former Professor of Linguistics
and of Slavic Languages and
Literatures at Northwestern
University. He is a Research
Fellow at the Museum of
Russian Icons and head of the
Editorial Board for the Journal
of Icon Studies.
iv
Journal of Icon Studies
Raoul N. Smith
Editor
Journal of Icon Studies