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File:The_Ladder_of_Divine_Ascent_Monastery_of_St_Catherine_Sinai_12th_century.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ132137· pop 89· linked from 3,098 articles

icon

Also known as ikon, religious icon

thumb|upright=1.25|The Ladder of Divine Ascent (icon)|Ladder of Divine Ascent depicts monks ascending to [[Jesus in heaven in the top right. 12th century, Saint Catherine's Monastery.]]

AI overview

An icon is a religious image, typically painted on wood, that depicts sacred figures like Jesus or saints and is used in Christian worship and devotion. Icons matter because they serve as spiritual focal points that help believers connect with the divine through visual representation, as seen in this 12th-century example showing monks ascending toward Jesus.

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Wikidata facts

Image: Gabriel from Vysotsky chin (14c, Tretyakov gallery).jpg

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Commons category: Icons (art)
Commons gallery: Icon

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~45 min read

Article

30 sections

Contents

History
Emergence of the icon
Origins in primitive Christianity in the first century
Icons in Eusebius to Philostorgius (425 AD)
Theodosius to Justinian
Luke's portrait of Mary
Iconoclast period
{{transliteration|grc|Acheiropoieta}}
Stylistic developments
Symbolism
Palladium and miracles
Eastern Orthodox teaching
Icon painting tradition by region
Byzantine Empire
Crete
Russia
Romania
Serbia
Ukraine
Egypt and Ethiopia
Aleppo
Svaneti
Western Christianity
Catholic view
Lutheran view
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links

thumb|upright=1.25|The Ladder of Divine Ascent (icon)|Ladder of Divine Ascent depicts monks ascending to [[Jesus in heaven in the top right. 12th century, Saint Catherine's Monastery.]]

An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, saints, and angels. Although especially associated with portrait style images concentrating on one or two main figures, the term also covers most of the religious images in a variety of artistic media produced by Eastern Christianity, including narrative scenes, usually from the Bible or The lives of saints.