Icon

Iko?na (from sr.- ?????? "figure", "icon"; tzh. other.- Greek. ????? "means", "image") - the image of persons or events of the sacred or church history, executed on the rigid surface (predominantly on fake to the board, covered by the levkas, t. e. by the alabaster, separated with the liquid glue) and supplied with special inscriptions and with signs.

Icon, appearing as word, "one of the means of the knowledge of god, one of the ways to the association with it" (Vl. Losskiy) there is a work church -liturgiceskogo of skill, and therefore even its value can be opened in full weight only in the reports of the prayer, accomplished after by the liturgy.

In to the sphere of the church study about the icons it is possible to isolate four tightly those interlaced between themselves the aspect:

• didactic, that corresponds "literally" to text and topical side of writing and legend;
• symbolic (corresponding to the "allegorical" level of bible);
• mystical (persons, "depicted" on the icon, themselves are present in their image ", actually appearing in it to peace;
• i, finally, closely related to the mystical, strictly liturgicheskiy the aspect of the icon (in the structure of divine service icon it possesses godly energy, force of liturgicheskogo means).

Iconoclasts, rejecting icons, nevertheless they allowed religious painting; they, thus, denied the mystical and liturgicheskiy aspects of the sacred images. Their error, therefore, consisted not of the fact that they did not realize the emotional-artistic action of religious painting, but in the fact that in their primitive understanding of the theological essence of Christianity, they were turned to the logic, where it is principally not applied. Similarly how , on the study Feodor Studit, not there is "means, but truth itself, and communion is the real familiarizing to body and the blood of Christ's" (T. e. direct realization at the level of existence of the sphere of super-existence, but not its descriptive (defined by example) reflection), and similarly how in the very report of vochelovechivaniya of word occurred the "connection nesoyedinyaemogo" - "opisuyemogo with that not described", so also "Christ, being depicted on the icon, remains indescribable" (PG, 99, 332 A, 340 v, 332 s), and one ought not to attempt to refute by "reason not understood by it, by proofs - unprovable, by syllogisms - not being obeyed the law of syllogism" (PG, 99, 332 D).

The line of reasoning of iconoclasts was constructed on the base of ancient-eastern idea about the fact that the knowledge of name is identical to the knowledge of essence. Therefore they assumed that the means must be yedinosushchen to prototype, and in connection with the fact that the prototype it is transcendent, then it cannot be depicted in a concrete-sensitive manner, on top of that with the aid of the anthropomorphous images. In their opinion, uniquely Christ it appears . However, Ikonopochitateley they charged simultaneously with two opposite : in the fact that those pour two natures of Christ, depicting it on the icon (monofisitstvo), and in the fact that they divide them, depicting only nature human (). Iconoclasts, thus, treated means as ideal copy, in everything and, most importantly, on the essence identical to the prototype - as of their kind double. However, Ikonopochitateli rested on more a fundamental understanding of means (in particular, on the study about the "dissimilar similarities". Holy fathers already in - arrived at understanding of the fact that the means (image) is not the copy the archetype, but only by its reflection, not in to all to it similar. This understanding of means allowed ikonopochitatelyam to overcome simultaneously both opposite heresies, with which them they charged, and by study their to protect the most important in the Christian culture (T. n. khristologicheskiy) about the "neslitnom connection" two prirod in Christ. On To Hans Damaskin, "icon essence the visible invisible and not having figure, but solidly depicted because of the weakness understanding of our" (PG, 94, 1241a). By the force of this weakness we invisible attempt ourselves to think of by analogy with that seen, "since we see in that created the means, which dimly show to us godly revelations" (PG, 94 124IBC). The consequently presented by the discerning subject means cannot be identical to its transcendent archetype "on the essence", but it is equal to it "on the hypostasis" and "on the name". And it is depicted on the icon, on the basis of the general theory of means, not "nature" (human or godly), but hypostasis, that also preserves nepostigayemost' and neizobrazimost' of archetype in the icon images.

Icon, appearing, thus, the highest realities, itself is reality more significant than the transient peace of phenomena. But, in connection with the fact that icon - material object, then relation to it as generally to the material, to the limit is sharpened: from one side, the image of icon is received as the sensual reflection of spiritual archetype, with another - must not transfer the worship to archetype from the archetype itself to the icon as a whole, although very material nature of icon (paint, board t. p.) seemingly it is blessed v as a result of the presence of undoubted ontological connection with the prototype. Therefore VII oecumenical cathedral napominatel'noye the value of the icons: icons remind those being praying about their prototypes, and, looking at the icons, which believe "raise mind from the means to the prototypes".

Functions of the icon

By researchers is separated 21 basic function of the icon:

• Dogmatic: ikonopochitaniya - one of the basic in and on the icons is manifested Christian dogmatics
• Verouchitel'naya: icon is called to teach, on the level with the the verbal
• Cognitive: icon illustrates the events of the sacred history, serving as information source; being one of the methods of the phenomenon of godly truth, icon makes it possible to get to know god and godly
• Significative: icon is evidence of the truth Bogovoploshcheniya
• Sermonizing: icon can speechlessly to preach, without proving, but showing the truth
• Khramovaya: icon, for example, in the composition - one of the components of the orthodox
• Bogosluzhebnaya: icon - part the liturgy
• Anthropological: Christian anthropology it is based on the creation the man on means and similarity of god, t. e. man can be considered as the icon of the god
• Theological: term "icon" frequently is used in , icons in the broad sense can be considered not only picturesque works, but also texts (for example, ), of pesnopeniya, thing (priestly clothing, bogosluzhebnye vessels), action (divine service), place (city, temple, the altar and t. d.).
• Historical: icon (for example, Vladimir icon Of the bozhiyey mother) leaves significant track in the history, many historical events are connected with the icons
• Military: icon to izdrevne accompanied the Christian soldiers
• Napominatel'naya: means appears and reminds one o the prototype
• Intermediary: icon - point of rendezvous of man and god
• Ancestral: family icons accompany orthodox person in all happiness and misfortunes and are transferred from generation to generation
• Economic: icon blesses any economic activity of the orthodox Christian
• Applied: iconography gave birth to the applied forms of craft and skill, these as podkotovka of icon boards, strictly iconography, the production of payments and so forth, etc.
• Emotional: icon serves as the source of the emotional experiences
• Praying: the main function of icon, icon are intended for the prayer
• Wonder-working: in connection with the icons many miracles were noted
• Aesthetical: iconography can be considered as the part of the skill, icon in the museum fulfills the aesthetical function
• Literary: icon is always connected with the literature, for the course of history they have a mutual effect on each other

Literature

• Lepakhin v. V. Value and the destination of icon. Icon in the church, in the state, public and personal life - on the basis of the theological, art criticism, historical, ethnographical and literary and artistic sources. M., "palomnik" "2003.- 512 s. ISBN 5-87468-188-4

Classification of the icons

On the subjects it is accepted to separate:

• Icons of the holy trinity - symbolic and "on the prophetic visions" of the image the ternary dogma.
• Icons of the khristologicheskogo number, among which they are separated directly the icon of the rescuer and the image of events with Christ's participation. Among the latter separate group compose t. n. the "passionate" icons (icon of passionate cycle), that narrate about the sufferings and the crucifix of Christ.
• Bogorodichnye icons, among which they conditionally separate directly the icon of Mary and the icon of bogorodichnykh holidays.
• Icons of saints and forces of the incorporeal.
• Icons of the holidays and the events of the sacred history.
• Symbolic and the allegorical compositions.

In a quantity of the depicted characters they call one-, two-, and t. d., and also very ornate composition.

In a quantity of the independent compositions they separate one-, two- and t. d. - the quotients icon. Furthermore, there exist icon with the marks, in which basic central composition (srednik) is surrounded by one or several rows of secondary compositions (the marks), the usually composing a more or less complete number illustrations, that narrates against the history of depicted in srednike face or the events or which illustrate by something different, connected with them . They call among similar icons the zhitiynye icons (icon with the life), icon with the acts, icon with the legend, icon with the acathistus and t. d.

To the scales of the depicted figures they are separated growth (depicting characters in the total increase), ogrudnye, oplechnye and oglavnye icon.

On the stylistic special features icons carry to that or something different to the "school" of the iconography: Novgorod, Moscow, stroganovskoy and t. d. Also in the course of art criticism attribution icon can be referred k to "school", to "environment" or "workshop" concrete iconographer, for example: "the icon of the environment Andrey Ruble " or "the icon of the workshop Dionysus ".

In the technology of the performance they separate:

• the picturesque icons, among which it is possible to name encaustic, mosaic, tempernye icon, icons, written in the technology of the oil painting, and t. d.
• the embroidered icons - executed in one or other technology or another of the sewing
• the cast icons
• the carved icons
• printed or the typographical icons

On the location icons are divided into house, sensible (road) and khramovye. They call among the latter on the location in the temple ikonostasnye, afteramvonnye and t. d. Icon, which participates in Cross motion it is called extension. House icon can be family (transmitting by the inheritance from generation to generation), measured (ordered after generation in the family of baby in the honor of his patronal'nogo saint on the board, equal according to the size to the growth of child with the generation), wedding (participating in the rite the wedding) and t. p. The icon, written on the special promise is named obetnoy.

They separate among the icons wonder-working - those noted by uncommon phenomena, according to the type of chudotvoreniya of icon can tyuey nazyvatsya appeared (miraculously found), mirotochivymi (releasing peace), healthful and t. d.

According to the size there are several characteristic designations:

• listoushka (listovushka) - small icon on the board with size from 1 to 4 .
• pyadnitsa - icon with size in
• os'merik, the nonary measure, the decimal measure and t. d. - icon by size, correspondingly, 8, 9 and 10 inches

Cm. also:

• Iconography
• Iconography of the Mother of God
• Iconography of the rescuer
• Iconoclasm
• Category:Iconographers