Tag: New christian Icons

Guarding the Archetype

Christian Cross, Ravenna, 6th Century

Reflections on Constantine Cavarnos’ Guide to Byzantine Iconography

This month I would like to share several reflections drawn from Constantine Cavarnos’ important work, Guide to Byzantine Iconography. For those of us laboring in our studios today, the questions he raises remain foundational:

How do we create new icons for contemporary Christians while faithfully preserving the original intentions of the earliest sacred images?

The Formation of Hieratic Types

In the early centuries of Christian art, the Church Fathers recognized the necessity of establishing hieratic types—sacred prototypes that would serve as authoritative visual theology. These were not merely artistic conventions. They formed a coherent, didactic, allegorical system intended to guide both iconographers and the faithful.

John the Baptist Icon
John the Baptist Icon by Christine Hales

Cavarnos writes:

“The purpose of depicting these consecrated types was to contribute to the edification of the faithful… Through them, the Church recommends to the faithful a hidden, spiritual teaching.”

The earliest biblical scenes—many preserved in the frescoes of the Roman catacombs (2nd–4th centuries)—already demonstrate this theological intentionality. The selection of subjects was not arbitrary. It was shaped by the symbolism of the Gospels and Apostolic writings, and guided by the Spirit within the life of the Church.

The Long Refinement of the Archetypes

St. John, the hut dweller and Paul of Thebes, Greek-Cretan Icon 15-17th centuries

Photios Kontoglou expresses this development with particular clarity:

“The archetypes of Byzantine Iconography are the result of centuries of spiritual life, Christian experience, genius, and work. The iconographers who developed them regarded their work as awesome, like the dogmas of the true Faith, and they worked with humility and piety, on types that had been handed down to them by earlier iconographers, avoiding all inopportune and inappropriate changes. Through long elaboration, these various representations were freed from everything superfluous and inconstant, and attained the greatest and most perfect expression and power.”

This passage is worth lingering over. The archetypes were not invented in a moment of individual inspiration. They were purified over centuries—stripped of the accidental, the sentimental, and the merely fashionable—until they achieved distilled spiritual clarity.

What remains is not stylistic rigidity, but theological precision.

Why We Copy Pre-Renaissance Icons

St. Luke painting an icon of the Virgin and Child

Most of us were trained with the guidance: copy icons from before the Renaissance. Cavarnos and Kontoglou help us understand why.

From the Renaissance onward, Western art increasingly emphasized naturalism, individual expression, and worldly concerns—even within Christian subject matter. The center of gravity shifted toward human emotion and physical realism.

By contrast, the Byzantine tradition preserved the ancient archetypes. Because it maintained continuity with the established types, it retained its spiritual luminosity and theological integrity. The icon remained what it was intended to be: not a window into psychological narrative, but a window into eternity.

To copy pre-Renaissance icons, then, is not antiquarianism. It is fidelity to a theological vision refined by centuries of ecclesial experience.

Christ Redeemer Icon written by Christine Hales 2026
Christ Redeemer Icon, written by Christine Hales

Our Responsibility in the Studio

For those of us creating icons today, the task is both humble and demanding:

  • To revive the archetypes with reverence.
  • To avoid unnecessary innovation.
  • To allow the forms to shape us rather than imposing ourselves upon them.
  • To participate in a tradition that is larger than our individual artistic impulse.

If the early iconographers regarded their work as “awesome, like the dogmas of the true Faith,” then so must we.

May these reflections strengthen and give wings to your holy practice. May our work, grounded in the consecrated types, continue to edify the faithful and communicate the hidden, spiritual teaching entrusted to the Church.

Until next month,
Christine Hales
Artist / Iconographer

Interesting Links For Iconographers:

International juried exhibition of contemporary sacred art The Light of the Logos (Svetlost Logosa), which will take place 1–16 September 2026 at the Kolarac Endowment Gallery in Belgrade, Serbia. OPEN CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: https://kaleidoskop-media.com/svetlost-logosa/open-call-the-light-of-the-logos-2026. Short video from last year’s edition: https://youtu.be/pP7KpbV_6lU

From Dorothy Alexander, Santa Barbra CA, An Orthodox Liturgical Arts Retreat is being offered at Echo Park, CA (7.26 – 8/1/26). 1) Mosaic and Repoussé/Sgraffito and 2) Egg Tempera Iconography. Micah Andrews is a mosaic master and we are also blessed to have Dr. Victoria Brennan presenting and teaching. Contact Dorothy Alexander by email or text for more information, dotalexander@westmont.edu, or (805) 708-0453.

LINKS For  Christine Simoneau Hales   2026

  1. https://newchristianicions.com   my main website
  2. Https://christinehalesicons.com  Prints of my Icons
  3. https://online.iconwritingclasses.com  my online pre-recorded icon writing classes
  4. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2WoRDiPivGtz2aw61FQXA  My YouTube Channel 
  5. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineHalesFineArt     or  https://www.facebook.com/NewChristianIcons/
  6. Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/christinehalesicons/?hl=en
  7. American Association of Iconographers:  FB Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/371054416651983
  8. American Association of Iconographers Website: https://americanassociationoficonographers.com

Iconoclasm

Iconoclasm in Church Art (600-1000)

Image from Class Chuludov Psalter, 9th Century, scene of Iconoclasm

Key Issues of Iconoclasm

Iconoclasm, the destruction or rejection of religious images, was a major controversy that profoundly impacted the Byzantine Empire from the 7th to the 9th centuries. The debate centered around the Second Commandment, which forbids idolatry, raising the question of whether holy images competed with God or enhanced Christians’ experience and knowledge of God. This controversy tore apart the Byzantine Empire, pitting the iconodules, who venerated icons as a logical progression of Christian art, against the iconoclasts, who believed that any image in a church was idolatry.

The East-West Divide

Sts. Theodore of Amasea and George conquering their enemies; 9th century, Mt. Sinai

In the Western Christian church, where Latin had become the church’s language, the Greek distinction between latria(worship for only God) and dulia (a lesser form of veneration) was not easily understood or accepted. Eventually, however, the Western church allowed images for veneration. Despite sharing one Christian faith, Latin Christendom and Byzantium developed distinct spiritual, intellectual, and institutional traditions, shaping cultural identities that persist today as two distinct divisions of the Church.

Byzantium Under Justinian and Theodora

Theodora, Mosaic, 9th century

In Byzantium, the Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD) and his wife Theodora implemented caesaropapism, ensuring that the emperor controlled both political and religious affairs. This mosaic shows Empress Theodora holding a chalice, with figures standing frontally and almost floating in space, signifying a stylistic break from the Greco-Roman tradition. This new style was associated with the divine world, rather than the naturalistic world. Theodora was murdered for opposing the removal of the Jesus icon on the Chalke Gate of the Great Palace of Constantinople during the iconoclasm movement.

The Iconoclast Controversy

Christ Mosaic, Hagia Sophia

According to traditional accounts, Iconoclasm began when Emperor Leo III removed an icon of Christ from the Chalke Gate of the imperial palace in Constantinople in 726 or 730, sparking widespread destruction of images and persecution of their defenders. In the East, Caliph Yazid issued a decree in 723 banning all holy images in Christian churches. In the West, Emperor Leo banned icons in all public places in 726. Pope Gregory III responded in 731, excommunicating those who denied the sanctity of icons or violated sacred images.

Opposition and Resolution

Crucifixion, Byzantine Museum, Athens. Circa 9-13th centuries.

St. Theodore the Studite (b. 759, Constantinople) was a leading opponent of iconoclasm, which disturbed relations between the Byzantine and Roman churches. The period of iconoclasm lasted until 797, with proponents of icons like Saint John of Damascus and the edicts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council supporting the veneration of icons. John of Damascus, an Arab Christian monk and theological doctor, was a prominent figure in the 8th-century Iconoclastic Controversy.

Cultural Impact and the Great Schism

Byzantine Iconoclasm, initiated by Emperor Leo III and continued by his successors, included widespread destruction of religious images and persecution of supporters. The period saw growing divergence and tension between the East and West, though the Church remained unified. The Western Church supported the use of religious images, while the Eastern Church was more divided.

Seventh Ecumenical Council Icon

The Great Schism of 1054 was caused by doctrinal differences, the rejection of universal Papal authority by Eastern patriarchs, and sociopolitical differences. This schism created lasting divisions that affect the study and practice of iconography today.

Modern Perspectives on Iconography

Iconoclasm, Clasm Chuldov Psalter, 9th Century

Today, a schism still exists between Western and Eastern iconographers regarding the nature and purpose of icons. Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Rowan Williams, explained the significance of icons in his talk “Idol, Image, and Icon.” He described an idol as an empty illusion, whereas an image bridges the gap between absence and presence. Icons, made and used in prayer, open us up to God and embody the tension between divine presence and absence. They challenge and transform the viewer, claiming our attention and inviting us to experience the sacred.

Conclusion

Iconoclasm was a pivotal controversy in the history of the Byzantine Empire and the Christian Church, shaping the development of religious art and theological thought. Its legacy continues to influence the study and practice of iconography today, highlighting the enduring tension between tradition and innovation in religious expression.

I’m hoping to achieve Peace in our lifetime, with all those who call themselves Christians actively spreading the Doctrine of brotherly love to all of our neighbors.

INTERESTING LINKS:

Lord Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lecture at Birmingham University: Idols, Images, and Icons.

Wax Tempera and Modern Icons

May God continue to bless the eyes of your hearts with His love, until next month,

Christine Simoneau Hales, New Christian Icons

Upcoming Icon Painting Classes

Merry Christmas!

christinglory Hello Friends and Fellow Iconographers:

Beginning this month, the new Blog look is starting!  The goal is to have this blog be an information source for artists and Iconographers internationally.  I am collecting Iconographers’ website links and blogs so if you’re reading this and would like to be included or have links that you think would benefit the larger community of Iconographers, please email me with them: christine@newchristianicons.com, so they can be included.

My Icon Retreat news for this month is the Icon Retreat I’m teaching at Saint James Church on Madison Ave, New York, NY will be held Fri-Sunday February 20-22. There are still some spaces but you should book early. We will be writing the Icon of Saint Raphael the Archangel of healing, and guide for those on journeys of all kinds.raphaelunframedweb

Also, have updated my Icon website: www.newchristianicons.com– let me know how you like it!

A new Beginning Icon Writing class is starting in Hillsdale, NY at the Christian Community Church, Thursday evenings 6-9PM starting January 15. Email to register.

Just returned from seeing two pretty wonderful museums in NYC and want to share what’s on there-in case you can get there this season, or view online.

First, at MOBIAtimthumb.php, the Durer, Rembrandt, Tiepolo and Blake, exhibition of Master Prints is incredibly satisfying as an exhibition with both scope and depth.

Particularly interesting is the combination of Scripture – the written Word and the visual images. The exhibition continues through January 11, 2015 and admission is free.  A second exhibition at MOBIA is “A Bible for our Nation”timthumb-1.php– also interesting, particularly the Mohawk and Seneca translations.

The second exhibition of great interest is at the Morgan Library, 225 Madison Ave. at 36th street, “The Crusader Bible: a Gothic Masterpiece”. One of the great illuminated manuscripts in the world, believed to have been made in Paris, 1250, it has beautifully colored egg tempera illustrations of biblical scenes by seven anonymous artists.   Open until January 5, this exhibition is delightful and a rare opportunity to view this manuscript.Crusader

There’s also an exhibition of Cy Twomby’s Treatise on the Veil. I love Twombly’s work, but in the context of these more structured and time intensive arts, the Treatise  pales by comparison.