The eighth and ninth Byzantium was one of the most unfortunate in the history of art and architecture. The growth of art and architecture was partially stunted due to the desire to attain political correctness. In that period, political correctness meant following the edicts issued by the emperor. During that time, the emperor issued an edict banning the use of icons. One of the icons that would have drawn a lot of controversy in the eighth and ninth-century Byzantium is the icon of the Virgin and Child Enthroned between Saints and Angels. The Icon is found in the Monastery of St. Catherine Museum, Mount Sinai, Egypt (Janson and Janson 34). The icon would have stroked controversy because the religious Council of the day supported the ban of icons.
The Virgin and Child Enthroned between Saints and Angels is too revealing. The virgin is seen sitting on a throne, holding a baby. She is flanked by two warriors, who are thought to be Theodore on the left and George to the right (Janson and Janson 34). Behind the warriors are two angels looking up to the hand of God. Such icons could be created in any form of media, and they were produced in all sizes, from the small size to the big size.
The icon would have been controversial because Madonna, the artistic term used for Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a key figure in the Catholic Church. She also played a crucial role in the history of the Orthodox Church. In many of her images, she was seen close to the angels, whether holding baby Jesus or not. Jesus, Mary, and the angels were revered by the early church. They had a special place in the history of the church.
Janson and Janson state, “Little is known about the origins of iconsbut they undoubtedly developed in part from pagan icons” (34). The fact that icons were associated with paganism made religious zealots pursue their ban. The emperor was able to mobilize his forces to carry out the order. Leo III, who was the Byzantine Emperor in the eighth century, banned the use of religious images. Iconoclasm was supported by the great Council of Bishops. The image destroyers were labeled Iconoclasts. The Iconoclasts believed in the literal interpretation of the Bible, which had banned the use of graven images (Janson and Janson 34). The movement wanted to restrict the use of religious symbols to the use of “abstract symbols and plant or animal forms” (Janson and Janson 34). The opponents of Iconoclasm were known as Iconophiles. This movement was led by monks. They were mainly found in the western parts of the Byzantine Empire where the emperor’s edict was not so strong (Janson and Janson 35).
With time, the use of icons grew in the eastern parts of the Roman Empire. The iconoclastic controversy lasted one century. Their argument was that the use of icons encouraged idol worship. Idolatry was against the Ten Commandments. On the other hand, supporters of icons argued that the icons were symbolic, and the honor given to religious symbols would be transferred to the icons (Perrone, Bernardino and Marchini 1043). Therefore, the use of icons would not degrade the sanctity and honor accorded to religious symbols. The Byzantine era resonated with the period when the early church prohibited the use of portraits showing the Christ or the saints.
The events of the eighth and ninth century Byzantium contradicted the earlier periods. In the sixth and the seventh centuries, icons had grown in popularity (Perrone, Bernardino and Marchini 1044). Even, they were officially encouraged. However, at around the same time, the opposition against the use of icons continued to grow.
Even after the death of Leo III, his successor continued to persecute those supporting icons. Iconclasnism was only stopped after Empress Irene convened a meeting whereby the practice was condemned. Following that meeting, the use of icons was reestablished (Perrone, Bernardino and Marchini 1044). However, their victory was short-lived because the use of icons was banned again in 815 before final restoration in 843. The Iconoclastic controversy can thus be divided into three categories. The first part was between AD 726 and 780, the second wave began in 787-813, and the third wave began in 815-843 (Perrone, Bernardino and Marchini 1043).
Perhaps, one of the main challenges of the Byzantium Iconoclasm is that it prevented the growth of art and architecture. The Byzantine art was meant to make the viewer feel in the right way. It was not focused on making the viewer feel realistic. The aim was to create a Christian vision but not a pagan vision. At that point in history, very few icons survived. Nonetheless, the Iconclasnism controversy shaped the debate about Byzantine images.
In conclusion, the Iconoclastic controversy, which began in the eighth and ninth centuries during the Byzantine Empire, banned the use of icons. After his death, Constantine V continued the same tradition of persecuting icon worshippers. However, the Iconoclastic controversy was not continuous rather there were brief interludes in between. Scholars have divided it into three. Iconoclasm was driven by the fear that images would misdirect the viewer from the holy person represented in the icon to the icon itself. Scriptures from the Old Testament were quoted as the main reason for Iconoclasm.
Works Cited
Janson, Horst Woldemar and Anthony F. Janson. History of Art: The Western Tradition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Professional, 2003. Print.
Perrone, Lorenzo, P. Bernardino and D. Marchini. Origene E la Tradizione Alessandrina. Leuven: Peeters Publishers, 2003. Print.
