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Iconoclasm: A Brief Classic History Quinisext Council (691-2) or Council of Trullo ‘Age of Iconoclasm’ – from the first promulgation of imperial iconoclastic policy in 726 or 730 – with a restoration of icons from 786 to 815 – until the final condemnation of iconoclasm in 843. Iconomachy – the ‘image struggle’ ‘First Iconoclasm’ – Key People, Terms and Dates Patriarch Germanos of Constantinople (715-730) Bishops Constantine of Nakoleia and Thomas of Klaudioupolis Emperor Leo III (717-41) Emperor Constantine V (741-75) Emperor Leo IV (775-80) Iconoclastic Council of 754 in Hiereia Seventh Ecumenical Council - Nicea II (787) Empress Eirene (775-802) / Patriarch Tarasios of Constantinople (784-806)

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  • Iconoclasm: A Brief Classic History• Quinisext Council (691-2) or Council of Trullo• ‘Age of Iconoclasm’ – from the first promulgation of imperial iconoclastic

    policy in 726 or 730 – with a restoration of icons from 786 to 815 – until the final condemnation of iconoclasm in 843.

    • Iconomachy – the ‘image struggle’

    ‘First Iconoclasm’ – Key People, Terms and Dates

    • Patriarch Germanos of Constantinople (715-730)• Bishops Constantine of Nakoleia and Thomas of Klaudioupolis• Emperor Leo III (717-41)• Emperor Constantine V (741-75)• Emperor Leo IV (775-80)• Iconoclastic Council of 754 in Hiereia• Seventh Ecumenical Council - Nicea II (787)• Empress Eirene (775-802) / Patriarch Tarasios of Constantinople (784-806)

  • Iconoclasm: A Brief Classic History

    ‘Second Iconoclasm’ – Key People, Terms and Dates

    • Brief restoration of iconoclasm or ‘Second Iconoclasm’ (815-842) –Emperors Leo V (813-20), Michael II (820-29), Theophilos (829-42)

    • Patriarch Nikephoros (806-15) à Patriarch Theodotos Melissenons• Easter 815 – synod in Hagia Sophia ratifies re-imposition of ban on images• Theodore of Stoudion (759-826)• Empress Theodora (regent 842-855)• 843 – ‘Triumph of Orthodoxy’ – a synod was held in March 843, probably

    in the Blachernai palace

    • Patriarch John the Grammarian (837-43)• Patriarch Methodios (843-47)• March 11, 843 – liturgical celebration at Hagia Sophia• Synodikon of Orthodoxy

  • Key Theological Terms

    • Eikon - Image• Proskynesis - Veneration

    • Latreia - Worship• Timē – Honor• Idolatry

    • True vs. False Image• Ousia – Essence / Nature

    • Hypostasis – Subject / Person• Incarnation• Tradition

  • • Before iconoclasm, there is freedom and variety of stylistic possibilities

  • • Stylistic Freedom before iconoclasm• The next pair are contemporary, in the

    same medium, and both from Mt. Sinai

  • Mt. Sinai, Peter, encaustic icon, 6th Cwith St. Menas, Christ, Theotokos

    John the Baptist encaustic icon, 6th C.Kiev Museum of Western and Oriental Art

  • • Classical style does “flatten” by 7th C

  • Munich ascension ivory. C. 400Bayerisches Nationalmuseum

    Chi-Rho Cross, Rome Museo Pio-Cristiano

  • Ara Pacis Augustae 13 BCS side procession with Augustus; W side with Roma

    Rome, Museo della Ara Pacis

  • Ravenna, S. Apollinare Nuovonave; S. Aisle elev.

    built by Theodoric, ded. 501mosaics ded. 561 as St. Martin in Golden Heaven

    relics of S. Apollinaris transl. 856

  • Ara Pacis Augustae 13 BCS side procession with Augustus;Ravenna, S. Apollinare Nuovo

    N elev female saints;

  • • Pre/post iconoclasm “classicizing”– Ivory archangel, 525-50, B.M.• Largest Byzantine ivory panel: 42.9 × 14.3 cm (16 7/8 ×

    5 5/8 in)

    – Miniature Theotokos, 10th C NY MMA

  • Archangel, ivory. 2/4 6th C BMStanding Theotokos, ivory, 10th C. NY MMA

  • • Iconodule rhetoric accuses the iconoclasts of total destruction and heretical hatred of iconography

  • • Khludov Psalter– mid-9th c. Byzantium (Constantinople)– Was at Mt Athos, bought by Khludov in 1874? And

    so went to Historical Museum

    – Good illustration of anti-iconoclast backlash– Also shows text-gloss (They gave me vinegar to

    drink)

  • The Khludov Psalter, fol. 67rMoscow, State Historical Museum, GIM 86795, OR Khlud 129-d

    Psalm 68 [69]: 22/21 They gave me gall...and vinegar

  • Khludov PsalterPatriarch Nikephoros I of Constantinople (806-815) tramples Patriarch John VII the Grammarian (837-

    843)

  • Menologion of Basil II (10th C)c. 1000 AD, for Emperor Basil II (r. 976–1025)

    Council of Nicea IIVatican Library

  • • Is it true?– Leslie Brubaker, Inventing Byzantine Iconoclasm.

    London: Bloomsbury Academic (Bristol Classical Pr.), 2012

  • Constantinople, Hagia Eirene (548)

  • Constantinople, Hagia Eirene (548)apse semidome

  • ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑ (“The Triumph of Orthodoxy”) c. 1400Constantinople, now London British Museum; f.d. 1st Sunday of Lent

    upper register: The Hodegetria flanked by Confraternity

    • Upper register: Empress St. Theodora (842-56 with son Michael III; Patr. Methodios I (843-7), all with inscriptions

    • Lower register: (with icons) St Theodosia the Nun, Theodore Studite, etc. etc.

    • Cult and Tuesday display of Hodegetria is late, esp. post Latin conquest era

  • • After iconoclasm, stylistic pluralism diminishes

    • “Style” becomes the favored cultural style• “Style” is fashionable; even so, is it

    iconological?

  • St. Peter, encaustic icon, 6th C. Mt. SinaiSt. Peter, church of St. Nicholas, Viogoroska

    late 14th-15th C., 41 x 30cm, Moscow Russian Museum

  • • But even in one culture and one region, there is visible variation in style

  • Virgin of Yaroslavl’, Moscow, 2/2 15th C (rest. Early 20th)ex. coll. Il’ya Semonovbich Ostroukhov

    Vladimir Virgin, Moscow ¼ 15th CTroitse Cathedral of Troitse-Sergeiv Monastery

    both Moscow, Tretyakov Gallery

  • • Variations of style are more noticeable across spans of time

  • Russian copies of Kazan TheotokosL: 16th C. R: 19th C

  • • So what is the meaning of the following statement?

  • Is iconography fixed and immovable?• From what you have seen, is the only

    way to achieve “correct” iconography a recension of traditional?

    • “In the choice of icons….we have been guided less by their artistic quality than by the orthodoxy of their iconography. In other words, the icons reproduced here show no trace of any dogmatic deformation, no borrowing from western art, and they transmit the unaltered teaching of the Orthodox Church, in no way infringing the Canon of iconography.”

    Ouspensky, in L. Ouspensky and V. Lossky, The Meaning of Icons, p. 145