It is said that the Slav who comes into the Temple of God desires psychologically to be surrounded by the beauty of Paradise on all sides. He desires to be in an atmosphere in where he will forget the world and be in a place which gives him peace and consolation. Similarly, the Slavs of the Roman rite prefer the folk-Baroque style, which is rich in forms and colors. The mysteries of Christ’s life are often depicted on the walls of churches in order to teach and remind the people of this sacred history. From this point of view, the function of the iconographer is linked with that of the priest. We read in Podliniku, a manual of sacred painting: “The sacred service of iconographical painting began with the apostles. … A priest puts the body of Christ on the altar with the power of words …; the painter does it in painting.”
Link (here) to an article by Cardinal Tomas Spidlik, S.J. entitled Seeking Harmony Between Slavic Culture and Latin Tradition Vulgata Magazine.
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