Icon

An icon is a religious work of art used in several Christian traditions. These include the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran churches.

Most icons focus on one or two main figures. Common subjects include Jesus, Mary, various saints, and angels.

The term also covers narrative scenes from the Bible or the lives of saints. In the Greek language, the word for icon is the same as the word for writing. Because of this, some Orthodox sources call the practice "icon writing."

Artists use many different media to create these sacred images. The most common method involves painting on wood panels using egg tempera. Egg tempera is a type of paint made by mixing pigment with egg yolk.

Icons may also be cast in metal or carved from stone. Other forms include embroidery on cloth, mosaics, or frescoes painted on walls. Some icons are even printed on paper or metal.

These varied techniques allow the art to exist in many different spaces.

The origins of icons are a subject of historical debate. Christian tradition often identifies Luke the Evangelist as the first icon painter. However, modern academic art historians trace the tradition back to the 3rd century. Some scholars suggest early Christianity was aniconic, meaning it opposed religious imagery. Paul Corby Finney suggests this lack of art was not due to a religious rule. Instead, he argues early Christians simply lacked the land and capital required for art. As they acquired more resources, they began to create distinctive religious art.

Early history contains many legends regarding the first images of Christ. One story involves King Abgar of Edessa, who sent a letter to Jesus. Later accounts in the Syriac Doctrine of Addai suggest a painted image was involved. Another 6th-century account by Evagrius Scholasticus describes a miraculous image. This image supposedly appeared on a towel when Christ pressed it to his face. This cloth was said to remain in Edessa until the 10th century. It was later taken to Constantinople by General John Kourkouas.

There were also significant disagreements about whether icons were appropriate for worship. In the 4th century, the writer Eusebius of Caesarea recorded seeing images of Jesus, Peter, and Paul. He also mentioned a bronze statue at Banias that people believed was an image of Jesus. However, Eusebius himself was cautious about depicting the human form of Christ. He worried that doing so might break the commandment of God. During the Byzantine Iconoclasm from 726 to 842, widespread destruction of images occurred. This period of conflict eventually settled the question of using images in the church.

As Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, icon production changed. The period following the Edict of Milan in 313 saw many pagans convert to Christianity. This shift allowed Christian art to become more sophisticated and widespread. Artists began to paint martyrs and their famous deeds.

While some critics worried about idolatry, the use of icons grew significantly. By the early 5th century, private icons of saints were common. By the year 450, images were frequently found inside the shrines of saints.

Icons serve as a bridge between the physical world and religious belief. They are not just decorations but are central to many devotional practices. The continuity of style in Eastern traditions is much greater than in Western traditions. This stability helps maintain a sense of connection to the past. Whether through stone, wood, or cloth, icons remain a major part of Christian visual culture.