Iconography

[Blase-and-Blithe]

Description taken from:
Teaching about Icons

"Iconography (from Greek: εικoνογραφία) refers to the making and liturgical use of icons, pictorial representations of Biblical scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, historical events in the life of the Church, and portraits of the saints. Icons are usually two-dimensional images and may be made of paint, mosaic, embroidery, weaving, carving, engraving, or other methods. A person who practices the art of iconography is called an iconographer.
Images have always been a vital part of the Church, but their place was the subject of the Iconoclast Controversy in the 8th and 9th centuries, especially in the East. The Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of the Great Fast (Lent) every year celebrates the reestablishment of the Orthodox veneration of icons. The use of iconography is considered one of the most distinctive elements of the Byzantine Rite."

Just curious what views in icons are here. Back home I have a small icon of St. Nicholas on my bookshelf and see it as being a nice addition to my small "religious section".

 

[didymos]

The word has a much broader meaning:

'Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct from artistic style. The word iconography comes from the Greek εἰκών ("image") and γράφειν ("to write"). A secondary meaning (based on a non-standard translation of the Greek and Russian equivalent terms) is the production of religious images, called icons, in the Byzantine and Orthodox Christian tradition; that is covered at Icon. In art history, "an iconography" may also mean a particular depiction of a subject in terms of the content of the image, such as the number of figures used, their placing and gestures. The term is also used in many academic fields other than art history, for example semiotics and media studies, and in general usage, for the content of images, the typical depiction in images of a subject, and related senses. Sometimes distinctions have been made between Iconology and Iconography, although the definitions, and so the distinction made, varies. When referring to movies, genres are immediately recognizable through their iconography, motifs that become associated with a specific genre through repetition.'

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconography

I have a hand painted Theotokos from Athos. My parents bought it for me in Greece, but I wish they had bought me a Pantocrator instead.
St. Nicolas is cool, he's an important figure in dutch folklore. He's the original Santa, did you know that?

 

[Blase-and-Blithe]

I have a hand painted Theotokos from Athos. My parents bought it for me in Greece, but I wish they had bought me a Pantocrator instead.
St. Nicolas is cool, he's an important figure in dutch folklore. He's the original Santa, did you know that?

I am we'll aware of that. My name is Nicholas, my Great Aunt thought it would be nice. So yeah.

Are you Orthodox?

 

[didymos]

No, I'm dutch reformed.

 

[Blase-and-Blithe]

No, I'm dutch reformed.

Oh, well alright then. I was pretty sure that Protestant denominations were very against Icons. At least those other than Anglicans/Episcopalians and Lutherans.

 

[crossnote]

Oh, well alright then. I was pretty sure that Protestant denominations were very against Icons. At least those other than Anglicans/Episcopalians and Lutherans.

Tthey are neither hear or there in and of themselves. It's the meaning attached to them that can be the danger.
The Word of God is the surest 'window to heaven'.

 

[RachelBibleStudent]

icons are ok as long as you don't 'venerate' them...

 

[didymos]

Oh, well alright then. I was pretty sure that Protestant denominations were very against Icons. At least those other than Anglicans/Episcopalians and Lutherans.

Not all of them: we even had an exhibition of icons a couple of years ago in my church. Personally I see them as an interesting art form and I respect them as genuine expressions of orthodox faith. They aren't that important for my personal faith though.