Collector shares his love of Russian icons

Lankton, who is the museum's director, purchased his first icon in 1989 at a flea market on a business trip to Russia. Although he had no previous interest in art, the religious images painted on wood with egg tempera struck a chord. Collectors of any stripe can guess the rest: Lankton's trove has grown to about 320 icons that date from the 15th to 21st centuries.

A videotaped 2006 interview of Lankton conducted by local access TV host Augusta Alban runs on a continuous loop in one corner of the street-level gallery. In it, Lankton says the icons hung in his home until his wife decided it was "a little much." But even in a public setting, the collection remains personal and intimate. Visitors can use a free audio guide narrated by Lankton, and it's easy to imagine him honing his stories during years of impromptu after-dinner tours.

The museum displays about 120 icons. With dark walls, high-efficiency LED lighting, and background liturgical music, the soothing space encourages visitors to linger. Wheeled leather stools can be pulled up so a viewer can contemplate a given icon in comfort using one of the handy magnifying glasses to examine the levels of detail and subtle symbolism that so captivated Lankton.

Scholars generally date the formative years for the distinctive Russian style of icon painting between 1350 and 1650, a period well represented in the museum. The earliest piece on display is a circa 1450 image of St. John the Baptist. One of the most recurring images is that of St. George, the patron saint of Moscow. A circa 1500 example depicts him on a white horse slaying a writhing black dragon with red wings, a symbol of the triumph of Christianity.