How Is a Religious Icon Made?
Image The word icon hails from the Greek eikon, which means “image.” They are used in the Eastern Orthodox tradition as a response to three-dimensional depictions of pagan gods (though this tradition was never developed at Rome), and are normally paintings (although they can be other flat representations) that depict religious scenes, and are generally based on a limited visual vocabulary over which the artist has little control. Themes and Material Most icons are painted on flat panels (as opposed to canvas for other types of painting) and depict a limited number of scenes, such as Jesus, the Virgin Mary, saints and the Crucifixion. The flat form of the icon is used to emphasize the holiness, rather than the earthly nature of those things depicted, and icons do not attempt to reproduce images realistically. Education The simplicity of form in iconography has been put to use in traditionally illiterate societies to educate the masses in religious teaching. The icon tells an entire stor
