THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF SAINT PETER IN EXETER THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF SAINT PETER IN EXETER
| This web page has been produced using the text and pictures from a booklet on the writing of the Icon, which will available soon. |
by John Coleman
2004
Icons are less pictures and more windows which allow Gods light to illuminate a story of faith. For that reason an icon is traditionally written rather than painted; each icon inviting the observer to enter more deeply into the subject of the painting. The position of the figure or figures and their relationship to one another and to the one observing are all crucial parts of the story-telling. Whilst there are great sculptural masterpieces, such as Michelangelo’s Pieta or Bernini’s The Ecstasy of St Theresa, which convey intense emotion, icons have a time-less quality which seems to draw a sense of mystery and wonder. Whilst some Christians still find three-dimensional images distracting in the Church setting, icons seem to be finding a home in many Church of England communities. Perhaps it is because the icon points beyond itself to God’s presence in the world that has encouraged ordinary Church of England folk to treat them with the respect and devotion that Eastern Orthodox Christians take for granted.
Exeter Cathedral is reputed to be the finest example of decorated Gothic Architecture found in any European Cathedral. It is full of carved images, many of them still with their original colouring and gilding. When the sun shines the building seems to glow from within and many a child has stared up at the vaulting and described it as a ‘wonderful forest’. Some years ago the Chapter had restored an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the Lady Chapel and this statue had become a focus for devotion with its accompanying votive candle stand. However, the statue was somewhat baroque and, although beautiful, some felt it not quite in keeping with the Gothic cathedral. When His All Holiness Bartholomew I, Œcumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, gave an icon of our Lady to the Cathedral on his visit in 2000 it was decided to place this in the Lady Chapel. However, the scale, colours and style of this icon were also not quite right either.
In 2002 I visited Axminster Parish Church to sing in a concert. I was immediately impressed by a large icon of St John the Baptist, skilfully painted in traditional style. I was later invited to preach at the Patronal Festival on 8 September at which another icon was to be hallowed. I met the iconographer and had lunch with him and some parishioners. Father John Good introduced me to John Coleman who had painted his first icon for Hilfield Friary where he had been Administrator. He had painted for sheer enjoyment for many years, but had noticed the rather poorly mounted print of Rublev’s Trinity in the Friary Chapel. His first attempt at icon painting was to replace it. This led him to read many books, visit numerous monasteries including several overseas and meet Orthodox Iconographers.
John paints in the traditional manner - using authentic pigments with egg-yolk tempera, 24 caret gold leaf, on gessoed wood panels. He researches the subject and, although each subject is based on a particular artist or representation, he allows his own interpretation to come through. He meets and prays with the community who request an icon, gives them regular updates and prayer requests. He fasts often and says that this aspect of icon painting has completely changed his understanding of fasting.
The Chapter has a tradition of encouraging artists to work within the Cathedral. It was agreed to invite John to become Iconographer in Residence in the summer of 2002 and John quite literally took up residence in the Chapel of St John the Baptist in the South Transept of the Cathedral. John is a deeply holy and humble man using iconography as a means of exploring his faith and the reality of the Gospel in communities of faith. Like many of us, he has experienced tragedy in his life as well as great success and this comes through in his painting. Immediately, we became aware of the deep impact his presence and work was having on visitors. Thousands of people watched him at work, talked to him and shared their stories. John had been commissioned to paint two icons -one of Peter and one of Christ Pantokrator. Since the process of painting requires the egg tempera to dry, he worked on a number of other icons including one of the Virgin of Tenderness. When finished this icon was placed just outside the chapel, becoming a constant source of prayer and meditation especially for one woman who quietly wept before it on her many regular visits. Clearly, the process of making icons, being bound up with people’s stories - both tragic and wonderful - and with prayer and fasting, was having a profound effect on the Cathedral and its visitors.
It was with great joy that when the two commissions were finished, John felt he could not take the Virgin of Tenderness away and therefore gave Mary to the Cathedral as a gift. This icon is now in the Lady Chapel and fits perfectly. This, itself, speaks of the power of story-telling and prayer. Icons are neither baroque or gothic yet seem at home in our Cathedral church. Each has a stand, specially designed by a local black-smith, for candles to be lit in prayer and they draw people to the heart of the Cathedral to be still and to pray.
At the beginning I said that icons are more windows than paintings. In Exeter Cathedral we have not completed an artistic commission, in fact, we have begun a process of sharing our stories which have become bound up in the story of these icons. It was this that was at the heart of my mad idea to send an icon to York when Dean Keith Jones was appointed there. Keith and Viola had done so much to encourage the participation of artists and craftsmen in the Cathedral and for the community to engage with the building in new and exciting ways. It seemed a natural thing to ask John to write an Icon of Peter - patron of both Exeter and York - and share our story with our brothers and sisters in the North. Peter’s story is wonderful because it is as much about failure as it is about splendour; God’s glory shines through Peter’s humanity which is broken and sometimes impaired. Perhaps one day soon an Icon of the Virgin of Tenderness might also grace that huge Lady Chapel of York - bringing the immediacy of Mary’s story into the heart of that large space and pointing people to the message of her Son.
What follows is a unique record of what we tried to do in Exeter. When you look at the Icon, I hope you will be more aware now of all that is bound up in its brush-strokes and bring some of your story as well as your prayer to this place.
Carl Turner
Canon Precentor of Exeter
 | Cathedral carpenter, David Burgess “Budgi”, and Iconographer John Coleman selecting suitable wood to make the Icon panel at Beach Bros. wood yard, Exeter. Feb. 2004 The wood chosen is Tulip Tree from North Carolina, USA. |
| The completed panel is brought via the Cathedral to the home of a member of the congregation in Dawlish for the preparation of the surface. Feb-Mar 2004 |  |
 | Layers of gesso (a mixture of chalk powder and natural glue) are applied to the front of the panel and sanded to a smooth painting surface. March 2004 |
Precise measurements are made from a copy of the Icon prototype
to transfer the design as a drawing in pencil onto the panel.
The painting or “writing” of the Icon begins...
Icons are said to be “written” and not “painted”. The word Iconographer means “a writer of pictures”. This tradition came about after the great Iconoclasm, or destruction of pictures, in the 6th century, following great controversy in the Church at that time over “idolatrous images”. At the great Council of Nicea in 787AD, the rules about Icons were formulated and one of the rules was, that because they tell stories, they can be said to be “written” by those who painted them and “read” by those who see them. Icons were finally restored in 843AD.
John always paints the eyes in first as he feels he can “engage” more with the character of the person in the Icon that way...
| The orange colour round the nimbus (halo) is a cadmium base for the gilding and will give the nimbus a different colour to the later background gilding on a lead base. |  |
Canon Precentor of Exeter Cathedral Carl Turner, his wife Alison and children Antony, Katy and Rachel come to pray with the part completed Icon at Dawlish before it is taken by John back to his Dorset studio for completing.
It is an ancient tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church that Icons are continually prayed for as they are being written. In fact almost daily contact was made between John in Dorset and Carl in Exeter during the Icon’s writing. Using a mixture of prayer and the modern communication method of texting, this Icon must surely be the first Icon ever, to our knowledge, to be prayed for in such a way!
April 2004 Easter Week.
| In Iconography only natural pigments are allowed to be used. They are mixed with egg yolk and a little water to make a mixture know as tempera. The egg yolk acts as an emulsion making the paint permanent when cured and dry, a method that has been in use by painters for thousands of years. |  |
Many layers of tempera are painted on, starting with the dark base colours and finishing with the lighter tones. The opposite of painting ordinary pictures.
April 2004
Iconographer apprentice, Louise Hollingsworth, applies a cadmium oxide red as a base colour to the mantle. Louise, a Fine Arts Graduate, was born in York, so it was very appropriate that she put her hand to this work! She later applied the gilding on the nimbus.
April 2004.
| Showing the robe base colours complete and ready for details of the folds to be applied. Chromium green has also been used as a base colour for the scroll. |  |
 | Cadmium yellow is used to show the folds in the red mantle. English gold leaf has also been applied onto the orange base of the nimbus by Louise. |
 | The folds of the red mantle are being picked out in cadmium yellow. |
| With most of the fold details done, the panel is ready to have red lead oxide applied to all the background in preparation for gilding. |  |
Having been painted on, left for a week to cure and harden, the red lead is polished to give a very smooth surface for the gilding.
| The ungilded St. Peter can be compared to a fully gilded version of the Yaroslavl Virgin of Tenderness. |  |
 | John selects which type of gold leaf to use for gilding the background. A different type of gold leaf to that used for the nimbus, will give a distinctive contrast when finished. French gold leaf was chosen for this Icon. |
The 24ct gold leaf is carefully cut to trim excess mounting tissue.
Gilders size is then applied to the red lead base.
Each leaf is laid one at a time over the entire surface and brushed gently flat.
The gilding complete, it has to be left to dry and harden for about two weeks...
The wording on Peter’s scroll is carefully added. Chosen by the Chapter of Exeter Cathedral, the words, in the original Greek, are from 1 Peter 1.v1.
Mrs Mabel Knight, aged 88, John’s next door neighbour in Maiden Newton village watches the finishing touches to the gilding being completed. May 2004
To complete the Icon the black edging is painted and the details of the
Icon’s dedications painted on the back...
The Completed Icon
Photograph © David Row
 | Back in front of Exeter Cathedral, Budgi the carpenter sees the work that has been done on the panel he made four months earlier. |
| Canon Precentor, Carl Turner receives the completed Icon from John on the lawns of the Cloister Garth outside Exeter Cathedral. |  |
 | On the weekend of the 29th and 30th May, the Icon was placed in Exeter Cathedral for people to see what was to be gifted to York Minster by the Exeter Chapter... |
The Icon of St Peter (93cm x 68cm) was written as a gift from the Chapter of Exeter Cathedral to the Chapter of York Minster for the occasion of the Installation of the Very Reverend Keith Jones, Dean of Exeter, as the Dean of York, 5th June 2004.
It is a copy of the 13th century Greek Orthodox Icon (School of Crete) and has been written using only traditional natural pigments and 24ct gold leaf.
It is believed to be the only Icon commissioned by one cathedral for another as a gift in England. York Minster is also dedicated to St Peter.
Members of the Exeter Cathedral Chapter present the Icon to the new Dean and the Chancellor of York Minster, Canon Glyn Webster in St William Hall.
5th June 2004.
 | Carl, with mobile in hand, sending a text message to John to say the Icon has just been presented. John was doing work on an Icon of The Virgin in a Dorset studio as part of the Dorset Arts Festival, when he received the message moments later... |
| The Icon is placed before the nave pulpit to be introduced to the congregation on 6th June, Trinity Sunday, where the new Dean will deliver his first sermon. |  |
The Icon has been positioned in several places around the Minster.
Here St Peter is proudly displayed beside the High Altar.
A view of the Minster and Chapter House, taken from the North side on 5th June 2004.
When I was asked by Carl Turner, in January 2004, to do this Icon for York, Carl carefully explained it was, if possible, to be kept secret from the then Dean of Exeter, Keith Jones. This was because it was intended that the Icon be a surprise gift to York on the day Keith was to be installed as Dean there in June.
At that time Keith was still to be seen almost daily in and around Exeter Cathedral, which meant the panel of the Icon being secretly smuggled in and out of the Cathedral and its precincts so that Carl could see its progress without Keith accidentally seeing it! As the panel was very big, this proved quite difficult. Even I dreaded meeting Keith by chance face to face, in case he asked any awkward questions, which on one occasion we did! Thankfully things became a little easier after he moved to York in April, though we did hold our breath when the Icon was placed in Exeter Cathedral for the congregation to see just before it was taken up to York.
We would like to think that Keith was indeed genuinely surprised when St. Peter was finally unveiled in York on the 5th June and he was unaware of the “conspiracy” that had gone on around him in his previous Cathedral!
John Coleman.
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