religious icons
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Religious Icons
History of Religious Icons
Where did the word “icon” come from?
The word icon is Greek and means an image, or
representation of a holy image. Icon refers to all
kinds of religious images, but it is most often
associated with paintings on wood.
What are icons and how long have they been around?
• An icon is an image of a person or event taken directly from Christian scripture and created in a specific manner, according to specific rules.
• Historians date the appearance of the iconographic style to the first three centuries of Christianity. They have been around for almost two thousand years.
How did icons first become popular?
Some people believe that icons were first
popular in people’s houses and then later began
to appear in places of worship. By the 4th and
5th century, they were commonly used in places
of worship, like churches.
Why have icons?
The idea of using icons came about because most Christian
converts came from pagan cultures and most of them were
illiterate, or could not read. Because of this, many of these
converts had trouble understanding bible teachings and the
icons became a way to teach the historical events of the bible.
They were basically like picture books of the bible. Early church
leaders allowed these icons in the church because they allowed
people to better understand the church’s teachings.
What types of icons are there?
Iconic style incorporates many artistic elements
from the ancient art styles of Greece, Rome,
Syria, and Egypt.
Iconoclasts
Even though icons were popular, they kept
arousing the suspicions of some religious
traditionalists who saw them as breaking the
second commandant, “Thou shall not make unto
thee graven images”. In 762, the traditionalists
banned all pictorial representations, or icons, and
began the destruction of the holy images. This
period of time is known as the iconoclasm.
Do we still have icons today?
Icons are still being painted today. There are
many modern artists and craftsmen who uphold
the great traditions of Iconography. Many of the
most famous icons can be found in Russian
museums and private American collections.
Typical Icon Images
• Christ• Saints • The Virgin Mary• Scenes from the Bible
Vocabulary Words
• Halo: Light emanating from a holy person, usually rendered as a circle of gold around the head.
• Pattern: Anything fashioned or designed to be used as a model or guide for something to be made.
• Iconographer: An artist who specializes in the creation of religious icons and upholds the traditions of the ancient art form.
Vocabulary Words
• Burnish: To polish gold leaf with cotton or a special polishing tool.
• Egg Tempura: The painting medium created
by mixing pigments with melted wax;
employed in many of the earliest panel icons.
• Symbols: Something used for or representing something else.
Additional Questions