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Icons in the Byzantine Catholic Church THE HISTORY The English term icon is derived from the word eikon, a Greek word meaning likeness, image. Iconography is the main art form within the Byzantine Catholic Church. It is important to understand that an icon does not represent, it expresses. It depicts the spiritual, not the physical. Physical characteristics are not of primary concern; it is the spiritual qualities that are the main focus in an icon. The entire icon is a symbol, not a decoration. They have never been worshipped as pieces of art. Rather, they are venerated for the divine and supernatural forces which they express. It is impossible to state a definite date as the beginning or origin of iconography. It has been speculated that St. Luke the Evangelist did an icon painting of Mary holding the Christ Child. It has also been suggested that St. Luke did such paintings of the Apostles Peter and Paul as well. Many transitions were made throughout the development of this Byzantine art. This includes periods when the art flourished, to times when it was completely banned. It is interesting to follow its development. Iconography flourished in Europe until 726 when the first signs of controversy began. This was the year that Leo III had men of his court destroy a popular icon of Christ which hung over the main entrance to the imperial a palace. This resulted in an uprising of women, one of whom, the leader, was martyred in the Hippodrome. She has since been canonized as St. Theodosia. The basis for this sudden decision to ban iconography was the result of a renewed interest in the Old Testament which stated that worship of any human form, in painting or in statue, was forbidden. Even though icons were venerated for their spiritual likeness, not as a form of idolatry, they were considered a threat and were outlawed. However, this is not the only explanation for why they were banned. Another possibility is that this was an attempt by the imperial power to assert their authority over the Church. They always had a fear of losing power. The ban reached its peak during the reign of Constantine V, Leo's successor. In addition to making the production of icons illegal, Constantine made his army take an oath which forbade them from receiving communion, speaking to monks and venerating images. Monasteries were ransacked and clergy found using icons were forced to leave the country. Their property was seized and some were martyred. It was during this period that the art took on a different theme. Until this time, icons were of a religious nature. In order to keep the art alive, fable scenes and non-secular events became the focus. This shift is recorded in written sources to prove that the art was not stifled by political forces. Churches used this new icon to show the government that they could not be controlled. It was not until the reign of Empress Theodora in 843 that the iconoclast ban was lifted. Theodora and her daughters prayed before icons in the palace before she took over the throne and had them reinstated when she gained power. The first icon she replaced was Christ over the door to the imperial palace; the first one removed earlier. Iconography slowly revived and by 870 it had once again reached its previous popularity. Byzantine output of icons and the importance of them in religious life grew considerably. By the 10th century, this art form had surpassed the point at which they were before the ban. About this time, Vladimir, founder of the Russian state, was searching for a religion for his people to give them a badly needed sense of unification. He adopted Eastern Christianity from Constantinople as the official religion for his people. He imported doctrines, rituals, priests, architects, craftsmen, mosaicists and painters, all of whom were welcomed with enthusiasm. Church furnishings were imported from Byzantium in great quantities. On the top of this list were icons, mural paintings and mosaics. These works were kept primarily in Kiev, although some were housed in other important regional capitals. One of the most important icons transferred to Kiev was Our Lady of Vladimir. It was believed that this icon had powers that could benefit the town. It was carried onto the battlefield in the hopes of bringing additional protection, carried in processions, and called upon to bring rain to the country. A Tartar invasion stripped this icon of its original beauty. Silver, gold and precious gems were removed and in the process, the work was harmed. A copy of it was later made, which made it the model for the whole Christian world. This began the art of reproduction. Greeks, Russians and other Slavic groups began the copying of great Byzantine works. Workshops were established for the arts and were employed by Byzantine artists. The artistic influence, therefore, was predominantly Byzantine. A Byzantine icon at this time lacked shadows, perspective and anatomical design. There were no light or dark characteristics and they often lacked balance. Coloring was subdued and kept to a minimum, while overall design was quite linear. The Tartar invasion severed Eastern Europe from the Western World, leaving this territory to maintain itself with the means available within its borders. This affected the art world as well. Soon, icons began taking on a different look. Color became an important factor, as did line, rhythm and composition. The works tended to be brighter and contained more detail. Figures became taller and slimmer while wrapped in intricately folded robes. They were no longer stiff and rigid, but loose and free. This made the work more expressive. Linear tendencies changed to allow more curvature contrast to the straight lines. Facial features, however, remained the same. Two great painters, Theophanes and Rublev, neither of whom were born in this territory, began to emerge. As they developed, so did the form and structure of iconography. By this time multi-tiered icon screens (iconostasis), were becoming quite popular and a church of any importance had them installed. They were made of wood, stone or marble, and varied in size depending on the availability of materials. The Iconastas began around the 10th or 11th century and introduced a new problem for the artist. Not only did each piece of art have to be unique, it had to blend together in a sequence of events appropriate for the screen. Originally, there were two types of icon screens. There were the local icons, displayed between posts and approximately waist high with a curtain backing, and there were the festival icons, higher than the local ones, but still easily reached for the changing of scenes. By the 15th century, the elaborate iconostas had been developed to the point that it had become a wall-like structure. Solidly built, it extended from side to side and from floor to ceiling. It was placed well in front of the altar and separated the sanctuary from the main body of the church. It was much like a screen, covered with ornamentation's of precious gems and important icons. Position of the icon was assigned by tradition. It was customary at this time to bring precious stones when adorning an icon. The richer the person, the greater value was the gem which they brought. During certain periods, only an occasional prince or rich merchant could afford to indulge in this practice. Icons were completely covered with gems and metal work by the end of the 17th century. When Peter the Great became czar, he instructed the clergy to remove the excessive adornments, as he found their appearance offensive. With the western ideas that Czar Peter was trying to employ, out went the numerous productions of icons. Iconography continued as an art and was still used in churches but production became merely a craft. This is true even today. THE ICONOSTASIS The interior of a Byzantine Catholic Church is described as "heaven on earth" - the place where God dwells and where man can "lay aside all earthly cares." Between the altar and the congregation there is the iconostasis, which establishes the unity between God and man; where the material and sensory worlds meet. The screen symbolically divides the heavenly world (the altar area) from the human world (the main body of the church), and unites these worlds into one whole. Standing on the boundary line between the heavenly and human worlds are the images (icons) of Christ, the Mother of God, and the saints, through whom salvation is accomplished. The iconostasis is composed of three doors and up to four rows of icons. Most churches today build lower screens of only two rows of icons. The icon screen has a double door in the middle. These are called the Royal or Holy Doors because only the bishop or priest can pass through them. These doors are usually decorated with the Annunciation (Angel Gabriel telling Mary she is to be the Mother of God), and the four Evangelists (those who announced the good news of salvation to the entire world). These doors represent the gates of heaven. On either side of the Royal Doors are the Deacon or Servers Doors. These are single doors used by the deacon or servers who assist the priest during the liturgy. On these doors can be found icons of a deacon saint, usually Saint Stephen the Protomartyr, or an angel, usually St. Michael. To the immediate right of the Royal Doors is the icon of Christ the Teacher. To the left, is the icon of the Mother of God. On either side of the Deacons' Doors is the patron saint of the church (right side) and St. Nicholas, patron saint of the Byzantine Catholic Church (left side). The twelve major feast days of the Byzantine liturgical year can be found over the doors on the second row of icons. These represent the main events to salvation. In the center of this row, above the Royal Doors, is the icon of the Mystical Supper. Since this event is reenacted during every liturgy, it is a focal point on the iconostasis. If the iconostasis contains more than two rows of icons, the central figure of the
upper sections is that of Christ in His glory, the Pantocrator, sitting on a throne as the
King of the Universe. On both sides of Christ, in the third and fourth rows, are the
Apostles, Prophets and Patriarchs of the Old Testament. It is topped with a Crucifixion,
with the Mother of God and St. John the Evangelist standing beneath the cross. It was
through the Crucifixion and the Resurrection that salvation was accomplished and the gates
of heaven opened. THE SYBOLISM Icons are more than just a painting or mosaic of who or what they physically represent. Someone not familiar with this art form generally misses all the symbolism contained within an icon. The mosaic icon of St. George spearing a dragon will provide a good example of the detail involved in iconography. All icons in the Byzantine Catholic Church include such symbolism. It is essential to go further than surface appearance to truly appreciate and Understand the message in these works. St. George the Great Martyr was an officer in the Roman army. A Christian, he was killed for refusing to enforce the Emperor's edict against the Church. In his icon, he is engaged in battle with a dangerous foe-a dragon-like beast. His lance is surmounted by a cross which indicates the presence of divine grace as George's strength and support in conflict. St. George is riding a horse which can be interpreted as giving him strength and power. His spearing of the beast, but not killing it, symbolizes his mastering of a force which plagues man in his everyday life. The force is mastered not banished. There are no good or evil characterizations in an icon. There are forces. The position of the characters in the work is also a significant factor. The horse is jumping, bringing St. George on a slant to heaven. The dragon-like beast is at the feet of the horse, making him further from heaven in the hierarchy of forces. The earth level is below the dragon. This is where man begins his journey in life and must work to move from this position. The level below the earth is hell. All men strive to avoid this level. None of the facial expressions of the characters are harsh or mean looking. There is no need for their faces to be expressive since other representations in the icon are more important. They appear serene and pleasant. Two icons of similar events may be represented differently. Although certain events and characters are almost always portrayed in the same manner, much of the symbolism is done by the iconographer. How the iconographer interprets the important factors surrounding the work he is undertaking will be reflected in the final piece. This makes every icon unique (except for reproductions), and every iconographer a theologian in his own right. SPIRITUAL SYMBOLISM The basic Church teaching on iconography was established at the Fifth Ecumenical
Council in Nicea (787). It is summarized in the Kontakion taken from the Sunday Divine
Liturgy commemorating victory over the iconoclasm: "O Mother of God, the indescribable Word of God, became describable through you in the incarnation, for through the divine goodness the Word spoken from eternity became an Image: may we who believe in salvation both in word and deed clothe ourselves in the same Image."
When the Son of God became Man through the Mother of God (incarnation), God was given a physical image and was then able to be portrayed in icons in human form. The images portrayed serve as an inspiration to all who view it. An icon does not show the confusion of a sinful world. Rather, it depicts the peace of the Divine world; a world governed by grace, not logic. That is why every religious painting is not necessarily an icon. Icons are very different from other more commonly seen art forms. Divine Light permeates all things, which is why there are no shadows in icons. People, landscape, architecture and animals serve as bridges. They connect nature with an existence outside the realm of time. The value of an icon, therefore, is not based on the beauty of the work, but on the spiritual beauty it portrays. Just as every person is unique, so is every icon. This does not mean, however, that an iconographer can invent an icon. He works through and for the glory of God, not himself. A true iconographer will only begin this holy task after much prayer, fasting and confession. Out of humility, an icon should never be signed. Icons serve many liturgical and spiritual functions. Some of these functions include: 1. they enhance the beauty of a church. As a house of prayer, a church should be as
beautiful as possible, especially the interior; Iconography today is becoming a popular art form. It is being recognized as art and is being used more frequently by the faithful in their homes and by religious education instructors in their classes. In addition, more churches are restoring or installing this age-old tradition of iconography.
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