Post by Clotilde on Jun 6, 2017 15:59:22 GMT -5
Recently, I encountered a piece of writing about icons that renewed my interest in this subject. I felt that the piece did not match up with what I had remembered reading many years ago. I was looking into the subject and I've gone through about five books so far from my own library and have yet to look at journal articles.
One of the things that I found interesting is that several sources say that the initial opposition to icons was due to Mohammedean influence. I would like to read more to understand that aspect better. It has been presented to me several times that the Iconoclastic tendencies came as result of other issues within the Church. I am not factoring those out, but the other influences interest me.
A second area of interest to myself would probably overlap into Art History. As it was presented to me, icons in the Byzantine Empire were destroyed but I recall seeing a source noting carvings or statues were also destroyed. So my question is, was there any three-dimensional art prior to the Iconoclasts in the Byzantium? We certainly see mosaics, paintings, and icons in the West, as well as relief carvings and statues at the same time. It is hard for me to imagine that they were not present in the East and they did not move beyond what we would now consider the "icon" in terms of art. Perhaps, since there was only about 400 years or so from the Edict, there was not enough time for Christian art to develop beyond its purposefully symbolic forms due to persecution? I suppose I had the idea that sculpture was very common in the East.
I will include links here, but I find anyone has anything they would like to discuss or contribute, please do.
One of the things that I found interesting is that several sources say that the initial opposition to icons was due to Mohammedean influence. I would like to read more to understand that aspect better. It has been presented to me several times that the Iconoclastic tendencies came as result of other issues within the Church. I am not factoring those out, but the other influences interest me.
A second area of interest to myself would probably overlap into Art History. As it was presented to me, icons in the Byzantine Empire were destroyed but I recall seeing a source noting carvings or statues were also destroyed. So my question is, was there any three-dimensional art prior to the Iconoclasts in the Byzantium? We certainly see mosaics, paintings, and icons in the West, as well as relief carvings and statues at the same time. It is hard for me to imagine that they were not present in the East and they did not move beyond what we would now consider the "icon" in terms of art. Perhaps, since there was only about 400 years or so from the Edict, there was not enough time for Christian art to develop beyond its purposefully symbolic forms due to persecution? I suppose I had the idea that sculpture was very common in the East.
I will include links here, but I find anyone has anything they would like to discuss or contribute, please do.