The art of painting icons on glass blends devotion with craftsmanship. Rooted in 18th-century Transylvanian tradition, this technique reverses the painting process - working on the back of glass with pure pigments and fine brushes. Each step, from outlining to color layering, transforms simplicity into a luminous spiritual image framed in humble wood.
The word icon comes from the Greek eikon which signifies a portrait , but not a portrait of the physical side, but of the transcendental one, intended to communicate to the spirit, in a rendering not of matter, but of the content that is found beyond the physical being.
The icon on glass is worked according to a model. Not much importance is given to anatomical proportions, but the chromatic balance is very important, the models in circulation that are worked according to are 200-300 years old. The first icons were found in Nicula near Cluj, then in Sibiel, Făgăraș. The technique of painting on glass experienced a special boost in the 18th century, due to the existence of glass manufactures in Central Europe. In addition to the existence of one or more characters, the rest of the space is painted with flower borders, twisted string borders (Nicula) the star of Făgăraș (Țara Oltului), Brașov (Scheii Brașovului).
Icon on glass – detail – 19th century
The icons on glass were not signed because they are not original. The writing is Cyrillic, but being made by illiterate people (not all the craftsmen's apprentices knew how to write) it was distorted over time and the name of the saint or the scene depicted is not always understood. The icons on glass first appeared in Transylvania (a wealthier region, with forests – as a source of fuel for the glass factories).
In icons painted using the traditional technique, only very thin brushes or pens are typically used to draw the contours, so the lines are of varying thickness. To illuminate certain portions, the black line was doubled by a white line.
The colors are used almost uncombined in their pure state, perhaps only more subdued or brighter. In the past, colors were prepared from powders (oxides, crystals) that were crushed in a mortar and then mixed with either oil or egg yolk.
The stages of making icons on glass:
The icon on the glass, the description of which follows, will be executed in oil paints. For this we need good quality oil paints, linseed oil, turpentine (which will help the oil dry quickly), brushes of several sizes, a bucket (the container for the linseed oil), cloth or napkins.
1. After choosing the pattern, we will draw the reverse of the drawing on the back of the sheet, because we work on the back of the glass, so the part that will be worked on will be inside after framing. Before starting to transfer the pattern to the glass, it is degreased either with window cleaning solution or with alcohol, after which the glass is wiped until it is completely dry; then the reverse of the drawing is placed on the back of the glass. We need a thin brush to transfer the drawing (with oil paints, carbon black is the most intense black). I prefer the brush to any other method because the line is more plastic and closer to the tradition of old icons. For the outline, the black color is diluted a little with the mixture of in+turpentine oil, so the color will have consistency. We will start painting the outlines from the top left and as we progress in the work, we lift the glass to check the consistency of the outlines (they must be matte, not transparent). In case of any mistakes, cotton swabs will be used to wipe away excess paint.
Icon outline
2. After the outline dries (which in the oil technique takes several hours, but is more resistant over time), the colors are applied. Because we are working in oil, it is not necessary to fix the outline before moving on to the next stage.
Icon painting
Start painting with the characters' faces and generally with light colors, then move on to the clothes and backgrounds (for those with experience, you can also start with the backgrounds from top to bottom). To emphasize the shadow or light on a green garment, it is mixed with a little blue and thus a cooler green is obtained with which to paint the shadow area of the garment.
Icon painting
3. Finally, after we have finished covering each portion with color, the icon is carefully lifted and held towards a light source to be able to see any areas left uncovered. When framing, we will take into account the fact that the icons on glass were made by peasants, so they did not have richly ornamented frames, but were simple wooden frames, possibly stained. A frame of 3-4 cm wide and 2-3 cm thick is generally suitable.
The finished and framed icon
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