Question about the Icon of the Resurrection

OrthodoxTexan · Apr 12, 2004

Paging Iconographer!

In the icon of the Anastasi, why are Adam and Eve sometimes portrayed with halos, and then other times not? Is there a theological significance to this?

For example:

vs

Michael G · Apr 13, 2004

The placement of halos on festal icons is about 50% up to the iconographer. Most festal icons include either Christ or the Theotokus, and they always get halos. In other festal icons, it is pretty much up to what the iconographer wants to convey as being important as well as to a matter of good taste. Thus Adam and Eve could either get halos or not get them, depending on what the artist saw as important. In the Icon of the Resurrection I would give Adam and Eve halos, but I would not give them to the saints to the right or left of Christ as they are not nearly as theologically important to the icon as Adam and Eve are. In the icon of the Mystical Supper it is important that all 12 Apostles were there, so everyone-except Judas-gets a halo. In the Icon of the Calling of Zaccheus, Christ, Peter, James, John and Zaccheus get halos, but the other people in the crowd do not. I hope I have clarified things, and not made them even less lucid.

OrthodoxTexan · Apr 13, 2004

Thanks. The reason that I ask is because I read a short book written by an Orthodox author about creation and evolution. The author claims that the Church does not necessarily teach that Adam and Eve are historical people, and offers the "halo thing" in iconography as evidence. I knew that didn't sound right.

Michael G · Apr 13, 2004

OrthodoxTexan said:
Thanks. The reason that I ask is because I read a short book written by an Orthodox author about creation and evolution. The author claims that the Church does not necessarily teach that Adam and Eve are historical people, and offers the "halo thing" in iconography as evidence. I knew that didn't sound right.

The halo thing is not theological evidence of what the church teaches. One of the things I had to learn while learning iconography was where the fine line is between theological correctness and good artistic taste. Iconographers are artists, and therefor we are not stagnant traditionalists. There is much room within iconography for the artists personal skills, it just takes years of study and development for one to understand what can and can not be left up to the judgement of the artist. Evidence of the fact that the Church does teach Adam and Eve were people is the fact that in most icons of the Cross there is a skull under the cross. The Church teaches that Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, was traditionally the burial place of Adam, and that the first person to sin was the first person washed clean by the blood of Christ. It doesn't sound like this author has a very sound basis for what he is saying.

OrthodoxTexan · Apr 13, 2004

Thanks iconographer. I must say that I was pretty disappointed in the book. I was expecting a spirited, well thought out, and Orthodox discussion of the creation/evolution debate. Some portions of the book were thought provoking, but others left unimpressed. That thing about the halos, however, has stuck in my head for a while. BTW, the book was "Beauty and Unity in Creation" or some such. I don't remember the author off the top of my head.

Michael G · Apr 16, 2004

Artistic harmony, for lack of a better phrase, is as important to the icon as the theological orthodoxy of the icon. A visually unpleasing icon can be as disturbing as a theologically incorrect one because it draws attention to what should not be important, namely the skills of the iconographer, and draws attention away from what is most important, namely the message which the icon is there to convey.

nicodemus · Apr 18, 2004

Iconographer said:
The halo thing is not theological evidence of what the church teaches.

In the icon of the publican and pharisee, the publican is portrayed with a halo, but it was a parable, so the iconographer typically puts a halo on a person that didn't necessarily actually exist. It is more of a case of the halo being put on the person (or archetype) whom we should emulate.

Michael G · Apr 18, 2004

nicodemus said:
In the icon of the publican and pharisee, the publican is portrayed with a halo, but it was a parable, so the iconographer typically puts a halo on a person that didn't necessarily actually exist. It is more of a case of the halo being put on the person (or archetype) whom we should emulate.

This is not always the case, however. In the Icon of Christ walking on the water, all of the Apostles are in the boat. No one would say we should not emulate each of the Apostles, and yet only Christ (and sometimes St. Peter)get the halo in that icon. I could cite many other examples along this line. In festal icons it is usually only the central figure or figures that get halos, even if the other figures are recognized saints.

nicodemus · Apr 18, 2004

Iconographer said:
This is not always the case, however. In the Icon of Christ walking on the water, all of the Apostles are in the boat. No one would say we should not emulate each of the Apostles, and yet only Christ (and sometimes St. Peter)get the halo in that icon. I could cite many other examples along this line. In festal icons it is usually only the central figure or figures that get halos, even if the other figures are recognized saints.

Now that I look at what I posted, I realize I described what I meant to say quite poorly. You, however, put it much better.

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