The Metaphysics of Light in Paweł Zaporożski’s Icons. A Dialogue between the Byzantine Tradition and Western European Painterly Aesthetics

Abstract

This article analyses the role of light as a bearer of metaphysical meaning in the work of Paweł Zaporożski, an artist of the first half of the twentieth century who revitalised the tradition of icon painting in Greek Catholic churches. Zaporożski combined the canonical form of Eastern sacred painting with an individual manner inspired by Western European academic painting. The aim of the article is to show how the artist created an icon that emanates an “inner radiance”. The analysis takes into account the use of symmetry, colour harmony, rhythmic lines, and theological content. Drawing on Byzantine canons and Western European influences, his works constitute a distinctive dialogue between Eastern mysticism and Western aesthetics, inviting viewers to contemplate spiritual questions.