A bit of history

Iconography—the writing of icons—arises as an expression of the Church, which has always used images as a tool for catechesis, in service of the proclamation of the Gospel. Even early Christian art, the art of the early Christians, while not yet iconographic, possessed characteristics that would remain present in icons, such as the essentiality of the lines, the minimalism of the figures, and a great deal of symbolism. It was precisely a "graphic" translation of episodes from the Gospel and the Old Testament, reinterpreted in the light of Christ. Here, for the first time, appear the first symbols that would later become part of Christian symbolism to this day: the fish, the lamb, the shepherd, and the cross itself. They were like a coded message for those who knew how to read it: it is no coincidence that these early iconographic forms are found in the catacombs, primarily in Rome.

In the 4th century, with Constantine and Theodosius, Christians could "come out into the open." They were no longer forced to gather in private homes or catacombs, but could also build churches and organize themselves into parishes and dioceses. At this time, images also acquired greater importance and value, being displayed in churches. Even in the East, sacred images became an increasingly important part of the liturgy itself in places of worship. It was one of the first councils of bishops throughout the Christian world at the time, the first ecumenical council, the Council of Nicaea in 325, which began to establish rules according to which sacred images were to be displayed. The council was convened to maintain Christian unity and to combat heresies that denied the dual nature of Christ: divine and human. The possibility, indeed the value, of depicting Christ as man was therefore strongly supported, precisely as an affirmation of the Incarnation. In the Old Testament, it was forbidden to make images of God: it was not permitted, in fact, to make an image of the God of the universe, who revealed himself only through the Word, the prophets, and Scripture. With Jesus, God becomes man, takes on our flesh and becomes VISIBLE, becomes human like us, apart from sin, and takes on our weaknesses. Jesus could be seen, heard, touched, had our emotions, experienced hunger, tiredness...

Therefore, making images of Jesus was no longer merely "useful" for catechesis, but fundamental to affirming the reality of the mystery of the Incarnation. For this reason, it seems that the first icons date back precisely to this period, around the 4th century: portable sacred images, made on wooden panels covered with canvas and plaster, and then painted. And once again, along with the diffusion of icons, came the "persecution" of images, again out of suspicion of idolatry, and perhaps also out of fear of granting too much "autonomy" in faith to the Christian people. It took the Second Council of Nicaea to put an end to the controversy and reaffirm the validity and usefulness of icons for prayer and liturgy, as well as establishing true "canons" to be respected in creating images fully consistent with the teachings of the Gospel and the Church and therefore suitable for the prayer of the faithful.

Among the oldest surviving icons is the icon of Christ Pantocrator, housed in the Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai. It most likely dates to the 5th century and was created on a wooden panel using the encaustic technique. Since then, the purpose of the icon has remained intact: it is not to create a "portrait," or to represent the reality we see, but rather to represent the other reality, which exists but which we do not see: that of eternal life, life in God.

Chiara Dal Corso
NP December 2025