Art is a beautiful representation of not only images, but also
messages aimed at the viewer. The art of iconography is a unique
characteristic of our Coptic heritage that began with the intention
of educating converts of the church. The works seen to be out
of proportion to the viewer since the eyes and ears are quite
large. However, these iconographers were not unaware of such elements.
They knew quite well the rules to project icons that are considered
a religious beauty and aimed to embody the visions of faith and
hope. "For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for
itself is not hope. For who of what one sees?" (Romans 8:24).
The main function of iconography is liturgical. Icons are an integral
part of the Coptic worship, inspiring and teaching the faithful
the mysteries of the Christian Church through the intertwining
of the mediums of color. Iconography is visual theology. Icons
stand between the material and spiritual realms.
First, one must understand the word "icon" finds its
origin in the Greek word "eikon". Within the Greek Bible,
icon appears in the verse, "Then God said, 'Let us make man
in our image..." so God created man in His own image, in
the image of God he created" (Genesis 1:26-27) and also in,
"He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15).
In other words, the word "icon" is "image"
in Greek. Icons allow us to learn the mystery of the presence
of God in the world in a way which is exclusive to the visual
arts. They do not just represent worldly reality nor are they
"religious" pictures. As Nicholas Zemov of the Russian
Orthodox Church strongly states, "Icons are dynamic manifestations
of man's spiritual power to redeem creation through beauty and
art. The colors and lines of icons are not meant to imitate nature;
the artist's aim at demonstrating that men, animals and plants,
and the whole cosmos can be rescued from their present state of
degradation and restored to their proper 'Image'. These icons
are pledges of the coming victory of a redeemed creation over
the fallen one." An icon of Jesus Christ affirms the reality
of the reconciliation of the human and the divine and enables
us to contemplate He who is the model for our these. The image
in the icon must be equivalent to the Scripture as a revelation
of the truth. A valid image is one that is faithful to its prototype.
Fidelity to a sacred prototype means fidelity to a transfigured
reality, and this rules our "photographic" realism,
which would merely reproduce the likeness of the world in a state
of corruption. An image changed to suit an individual's taste
is as dangerous as a doctored Scriptural text as threatened in
Revelation, "I warn everyone who hears the prophetic words
in this book: if anyone adds to the, God will add to him the plagues
described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words
in this prophetic book, God will take away his share in the tree
of life and in the holy city described in the book." (Rev.
18-19)
Coptic Iconography reached its peak during the Coptic period
between the 4th and 7th centuries. This time coincides with Constatine's
official recognition of Christianity. The Christian converts beginning
to appear were illiterate. They had extreme difficulty comprehending
the spiritual meanings, the history of the Church, and the events
that took place in the Bible. Therefore, the Church leaders allowed
icons to help the people assimilate Christianity and its doctrine
aided by visual means. Icons were there to instruct and elevate.
Patriarch Cyril I, the 24th Coptic Pope, permitted icons to be
hung in the Patriarchate and all the churches of Egypt.
Soon, Christians began to venerate the icon itself and to forget
the event or person it portrays. An icon is meant to be a window
into the spiritual world helping us to contemplate spiritual matters,
lead us to a prayerful frame of mind, and remind us of events
in the Bible, the life of Christ, and the saints. The icon is
NOT to be an object of worship. Again, the stress is on contemplating
the implicated scene within the artwork and not to bow before
a picture. We kneel to Jesus Christ, not to pictures. We kiss
these pictures as if kissing the Lord, His Mother, the Disciples
who touched Him, and the Saints who precede us to eternal life.
These are our true family: "Our Father who art in Heaven;"
St. Mary the Virgin, Queen, Theotokos, and the Mother of the world;
and our never-ending accumulation of brothers and sisters.
Due to the incorrect form of worship, in the 8th century a movement
called the Iconoclast Controversy began. These Iconoclasts used
the verse, "You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the
shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in
the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them
or worship them," (Ex 20:4-5). An important figure, Lawon
el-Esafiy, led the destruction of many icons during this period.
This interlude coincided with the Muslim invasion of Syria, Iraq,
Egypt, and Persia. Two Church's custom of icons were St. John
o Damascus and St. Theodore of Studios within the 7th Ecumenical
Council of the Eastern Orthodox Church in 787 A.D.
These Saints went back to the time that Jesus Christ was on earth
and noted the first three icons presented in the Church. St. Luke
is not only a doctor, a Gospel writer, but also an artist. He
painted the icon presenting the Theotokos holding the Baby Jesus
in her arms. This icon is now all over the world in a variation
of churches. The historian Van Celub also claims that St. Luke
even painted an icon of Archangel Michael in a Cathedral in Alexandria.
The second icon is directly from our Lord Jesus Christ. King Abagar
of Edessa sent a message to the Lord asking for a visit to heal
him from his disease and inviting our Lord to come and live in
his kingdom. The messenger returned with a cloth with Jesus' image
imprinted upon it. The Lord's image healed the king. "All
of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as
from the Lord who is the Spirit," (2 Cor 3:18). The third
icon involves the woman cured from her twelve year bleeding in
Luke 8:43. It seems this woman living in the village of Banias,
near the source of the Jordan, drew on her house a representation
of Christ and another of herself lying prostrate at His feet.
These icons are recorded by the historian Eusebius of Caesaria
in "The History of the Church." Eusebius specifically
saw the image on the woman's house in the 3rd century. We may
also consider the image on Veronica's sheet an icon where she
wiped our Lord's face during His flight to Golgotha and received
an imprint of Him.
The techniques remain the same over centuries. There are two
that are employed. "Encaustic" an gesso is the name
of the first style. It disappeared around the Iconoclastic period.
It consisted of molten bee's wax made into an emulsion soluble
in water. It was developed to a very high standard during the
Graceo-Roman period (2nd century BC - 4th century AD) as can be
seen in the beautiful funerary portraits from Fayoum Oasis, Southwest
of Cairo, which can be considered the immediate predecessors of
the Christian icon.
The second, "Egg tempera" an gesso, survived the Iconoclastic
era. It remains the only technique used to this day, although
unfortunately threatened by the use of modern media like oil or
acrylic which cannot compare with the brilliance and subtlety
of hue of tempera. Gesso is the name of the white ground upon
which the icon is written. Its soundness is of paramount importance
to the overall success of the work. Gesso is made up of white
lime and glue and is spread on the panel in thin layers to achieve
a hard, smooth surface. After a design has been applied to it,
gilding takes place. Tempera is a Latin word meaning mixing in
due measure. Egg tempera requires a process of illumination from
dark to light, symbolizing the passage of the soul from darkness
of the world to the light of Christ.
The characteristics of the large and wide eyes symbolize the
spiritual eye that looks beyond the material world since the Bible
says, "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound,
your whole body will be filled with light," (Mt 6:22). The
large ears show ears listening to the Word of God, "Anyone
who has ears to hear ought to hear" (Mk 4:23). Gentle lips
are reminders to glorify and praise the Lord, "My mouth shall
praise You with Joyful lips" (Ps 63:5). The eyes and ears
are disproportionably large because a spiritual person spends
more time listening to God's word and seeking to do God's will.
Large heads indicate that the individual are devoted to contemplation
and prayer. The mouth is small because it can be the source of
empty and harmful words. The nose is also small since it is viewed
as sensual. Notice that when an evil character is portrayed within
an icon, it is always in profile since it is not desirable for
one to dwell upon, meditate, or make eye contact with such a being.
Also note that artists do no usually sign their names since this
should not be a method of self-glorification. Those who choose
to sing usually do so in the form of a prayer such as "Remember
me O lord when You come into Your Kingdom." (Lk 23:42)
The icon usage and symbolism is the same meaning to Eastern Orthodox
churches (Greek, Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian...) and to Oriental
Orthodox churches such as ourselves (Armenian, Syrian, Ethiopian...).
Miracles are often related to icons from the dripping of oil to
the apparitions. This phenomenon has lead to many healed and encourages
a renewal of faith for Christians.
Use these icons as windows into the spiritual world to achieve
a prayerful mindset. They represent images of the Body of Christ
for through Him we are all united. When you view the Crucifixion,
recall that He is carrying your sins. The nails driven into Him
are because of the evil decisions we choose. Contemplate such
thoughts as to where we are extremely unworthy of such a Sacrificial
Lamb. Let these thoughts lead you to try to be steadfast upon
the road to eternal life. Observe the icon of a Saint and notice
that he or she has defeated the world. Through such images, constant
reminders of our goal here on earth, we are assisted in our struggle
for our names to be written within the pages of the Lamb's Book
of Life.
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