by Artist Genevieve Landregan

 "out of love for Him, make an icon of the One who became man for our sake.  Through it, remember Him, worship Him through it; through it, raise the mind to the adored body of the Savior seated in glory at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  Make icons of the saints in the same manner...venerate them, not as God, which is forbidden, but as a sign of your loving communion with them and of your veneration.  Through their icons raise your mind toward them." (St. Gregory Palamas - monk from Mount Athos in Greece who later became Archbishop of Thessaloniki through 1357.)

In order to understand the making of an icon, we must first understand the history of iconography.  Tradition has it that the first icon, (GREEK EIKONA, meaning "image" or" countenance") was made by St. Luke, from the New Testament in the Bible, of the Most Holy Mother of God (THEOTOKOS or "bearer of God.") The earliest icons known are at some of the monasteries at Mt. Athos in northern Greece.  There are over 20 Orthodox monasteries on the mountain.  There were also early icons painted on the stone walls in the catacombs in Rome, underground Christian burial grounds cut out from stone for those who were persecuted, dating up until the 6th century.

In 285, Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman empire into the East and West,  Greece and Rome. The state religion for Greece was polytheism until 380 when the Eastern Orthodox Church became the state religion.

In 330, the Emperor Constantine established the Byzantine Empire and icons and iconographers flourished, with basilicas being adorned with many sacred images.  It was established by Constantine on May 11, 330 AD, with the capital Byzaantium which later became Constantinople, or "city of Constantine" which is now modern day Istanbul.  While the Western Roman Empire was crumbling in 477, the eastern Byzantine Empire grew in strength and power.  The empire had expanded to it’s greatest degree by 555 AD under Justinian the Great.  During the height of its existence, it was the most powerful economically, culturally and militarily in Europe.

During the 8th and 9th centuries, there grew a group of high-powered people who disagreed with the painting of icons and iconographers themselves.  The movement was called "iconoclasm", literally meaning "the breaking of images."  The movement moved through a series of stages wherein they destroyed icons and tortured and murdered the iconographers and those  sympathizers who venerated icons, driving them to places like Italy, the Orient and Russia where they were able to pass on their traditions.

The Byzantine Empire lasted through 1204, then 1261-1453, later being overthrown by Mehmed the Conqueror.

Orthodox Christianity entered Rus' (Russia) in 988 AD following it's conversion .  The veneration of icons was also introduced into the Russian Orthodox Church at this time. Many Russians have a special corner for their icons, called KRASNY UGOL, meaning "red" or "beautiful".  

At first the iconography went strictly by the formulas of the Greek Orthodox. Flat, bright colors, but it later developed it's own interpretation of the making of an icon as a form of prayer on levels reaching the transfigurative levels of what was known as "PROSOPON", or "uncreated light" where we shall meet God face to face. The painting was laid down in  layers  with heaviest minerals first then layer upon layer of highlights as if ascending to the Light. One of the great Russian iconographers was Anton Rublev.