[LifeStyle] Louvre museum exhibits icons from Ukraine

[FRIDAY THE 13]

A new exhibition in the Parisian Louvre museum called “The Origins of the Sacred Image” will showcase five of 16 works that were rescued from war-torn Ukraine: four icons from the 6th and 7th century — encaustic paintings on wood from Saint Catherine’s Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt — and one micro-mosaic icon from the late 13th or early 14th century from Constantinople, with a lavish gold frame. Icons are portraits of holy persons in the Christian Orthodox faith. They are predominantly found in Eastern European churches. The oldest surviving examples date from the 6th-7th centuries, such as the icons that will be on display in the Louvre museum. They are considered major milestones in the history of art. “Since the start of the war, like other museums, we have been concerned to see how we can support our Ukrainian colleagues. In the autumn, faced with the intensity of the conflict, we decided to carry out this rescue,” Louvre president Laurence des Cars told press agency AFP. “It’s not much in a sea of sadness and desolation, but it’s a symbol,” she added.Eleven other works, “among the most emblematic and most fragile” from the Ukrainian collection, will be housed in the Louvre’s reserves “until the situation improves,” according to the Paris museum. The icons, representing both the foundations of Byzantine civilization and its innovative relationship to images, hold numerous mysteries yet to be unraveled. This is why the Louvre has created an international committee, consisting of Ukrainian scientists and renowned specialists in the field, to conduct in-depth analysis and study, shedding light on the significance of these works. The art treasures were brought to France via Poland and Germany on May 10 under military escort and with help of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH).https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/louvre-museum-exhibits-icons-ukraine-8666030/