Who does the icon most often represent? Jesus Christ is the main figure that church painters have written and continue to paint. For more than 200 years, the conflict between the fathers of the Christian faith over the permissibility to depict the image of God continued. One side called it paganism and sacrilege, referring to the prohibition of the creation of idols. Another argued that the icon is not a deity, but allows an imperfect person to approach the incomprehensible by his personification. Which of them won, it becomes clear when visiting any temple.
The beginning of icon painting
How did the first icon come about? The miraculous image of Jesus Christ appeared when he wiped his face with a piece of cloth (plate), on which his image was formed after the will of God. So the legend goes. King Avgar, who ruled Osroenoy, was healed with the help of this face from a terrible disease - leprosy. And the canvas itself became the source for a number of icons of the “Miraculous Savior”. The oldest icon, which exists today, dates back to the 15th century. It was painted with wax and is stored in one of the Egyptian monasteries.
All Christianity is literally riddled with symbolism and a hidden meaning. Literally, neither Scripture nor an icon is considered today. Jesus Christ is also surrounded by allegories in the images. This was especially common when icon painting in Christianity was only in its infancy. Also, this technique was relevant during the time of iconoclasm. He avoided persecution and punishment for glorifying the images of the Savior. At that time, it was written in the image of a bird, which, according to our ancestors, fed offspring with its flesh - a pelican. And the metaphorical dolphin was the "savior of the drowning." The parallel with the salvation of sinful souls is obvious. Later, such tricks were forbidden, the canonical icon that became known to us was allowed. Jesus Christ began to be depicted in the image that we used to see in temples.
Lord of the earth and heaven
The Son of God was written by many artists, and each of his images has his own story of origin. The icon of Jesus Christ the Almighty, or otherwise “Pantocrator” (“Savior the Almighty”), is one of the most common cycles in iconography. On it, he traditionally holds the gospel in his left hand, while the right is raised for blessing. The figure is depicted both in the chest and in full height. The Savior can sit on the throne, which emphasizes his title as king of heaven and earth, while in his hands there will be symbols of power - a scepter and power.
Miraculous phenomenon
One of the most beloved images in Russia - the Savior Not Made by Hands is an icon on which Jesus Christ is simple, close and understandable to us. Usually icon painters depicted him as a middle-aged man, with thin, clear and regular features. Inspiration and calmness blows from him, which is probably why so often this face adorned the banners of Russian soldiers. The background can be a fabric tied at the top with knots, or brickwork. The second option came just from that story with a sick king. After recovery, Hugar was baptized and became a Christian. A wonderful image crowned the gate to the city. After the death of the ruler, paganism returned, the icon was walled up, and this place was forgotten. After 4 hundred years, one of the bishops had a vision about where to look for the Savior. During this time, the icon did not suffer and even mirrored on the clay plate that covered it.