aniconism

An Ichthys from ancient Ephesus

Christian Symbolism

Christian Symbolism Christian symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork or events, by Christianity. It invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas. The Christian symbolism of the early Church was characterized by being understood by initiates only, while after the legalization of Christianity in the Roman Empire...

The Gothic Revival 19th-century chapel of Mansfield College, Oxford, an English Calvinist foundation, with statues and stained glass figures of divines of the Reform tradition

Aniconism In Christianity

Aniconism In Christianity This article covers Aniconism in Christianity in detail. Christianity has not generally practiced aniconism, or the avoidance or prohibition of types of images, but has had an active tradition of making and venerating images of God and other religious figures. However, there are periods of aniconism in Christian...

Muqarnas in the gate to the Shah (Abbasi) Mosque of Isfahan, Isfahan

Aniconism In Islam

Aniconism In Islam Aniconism is the avoidance of images of sentient beings in some forms of Islamic art. Aniconism in Islam stems in part from the prohibition of idolatry and in part from the belief that creation of living forms is God’s prerogative. Although the Quran does not explicitly prohibit...

Detail of Dayenu in the Birds' Head Haggadah

Aniconism in Judaism

Aniconism in Judaism Aniconism in Judaism covers a number of areas. The portrayal of God in any kind of human or concrete form is not encouraged. The Tanakh A number of verses in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) refer to prohibitions against the creation of various forms of images, invariably linked directly with idolatry. The strongest overall...

Moses and burning bush

Idolatry In Judaism

Idolatry In Judaism Idolatry in Judaism is prohibited. Judaism holds that idolatry is not limited to the worship of an idol itself, but also worship involving any artistic representations of God. In addition it is forbidden to derive benefit (hana’ah) from anything dedicated to idolatry. However, aniconism in Judaism has not prevented traditions of Jewish art at various periods....

A painting with complex iconography: Hans Memling's so-called Seven Joys of the Virgin – in fact this is a later title for a Life of the Virgin cycle on a single panel. Altogether 25 scenes, not all involving the Virgin, are depicted. 1480, Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

Iconography

Iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct from artistic style. The word iconography comes from the Greek εἰκών (“image”) and γράφειν (“to write” or to draw). A secondary...

An illustration from the Birds' Head Haggadah, c. 1300, illustration of the Book of Exodus. The fleeing Jews are depicted with birds' heads, while Pharaoh and most of the pursuing Egyptians have blank circles with or without eyes as heads; two of them, however, have bird's heads. The Judenhut hats are typical of 14th-century Germany.

Aniconism

Aniconism Aniconism is the absence of material representations of both the natural and supernatural worlds in various cultures, particularly in the monotheistic Abrahamic religions. This prohibition of material representations may extend from only God and deities to saint characters, all living beings, and everything that exists. The phenomenon is generally codified by religious traditions and as such it becomes...

The Aztec Tula Atlantean statues have been called as symbols of idolatry, but may have just been stone images of warriors.[186]

Idolatry

Idolatry Idolatry literally means the worship of an “idol“, also known as a worship cult image, in the form of a physical image, such as a statue. In Abrahamic religions, namely Christianity, Islam and Judaism, idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than God as if it were...