Where Did Religious Icons Come From?
Religious icons, images painted on walls or wooden panels, have existed from ancient Greek and Roman times. Their use has continued to the present, especially in Eastern Catholic Churches.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
While ancient Greeks and Romans used icons to commemorate deceased loved ones or figures from mythology, early Christians used icons to recall Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints during prayer.
Significance
-
The use of icons was a major factor in the split between the Eastern and Western Churches as church leaders debated whether their use violated the biblical prohibition of graven images. Byzantine Emperor Leo III banned the use of images in A.D. 726, equating them with idolatry. Pope Gregory III and his followers countered that the images were not idols but tools to help people stay focused on prayer.
-
Geography
-
With the split of the Catholic Church, devotional art has split along geographical eastern/western lines. Icons mainly are used by the Eastern Churches--including areas such as Armenia, Ethiopia, Syria, Mesopotamia--while statues, stained glass and other forms of art are used in the West.
Features
-
Religious icons are notable mainly for their highly stylized forms. While many Western Christian artists use their imaginations to depict religious figures, Eastern iconographers use specific methods and symbols in their work. Iconography is a ministry within the Eastern Church.
Considerations
-
Religious icons were very important in the pre-Renaissance era, when few people could read or had access to books. Because they used consistent symbols and colors (blue for the Blessed Virgin Mary, red for Christ's Passion), viewers could readily understand what was being depicted.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Public Domain
