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Byzantine Religious Icons

Type Object Region Byzantine Empire Time 800–1453

Painted images on wood or metal panels used in Orthodox worship and private devotion, depicting Christ, the Virgin, and saints in egg tempera or enca…

Timeline

  1. 800–1000Constantinople · ConstantinopleAfter the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 affirmed the legitimacy of icons, Byzantine icon painting gradually rebuilt strict Christological and Mariological iconographic programs, with wood-panel egg tempera icons becoming central objects of church iconostases and private worship.
  2. 1161–1170Constantinople and monasteries of Asia Minor · ConstantinopleFrom 1161 to 1170, workshops in the capital and at monasteries in Nicaea, Mount Athos, and elsewhere continuously painted icons; the Comnenian style featured soft faces, translucent drapery, and gold backgrounds, with patronage from Manuel I's court and the church driving parallel developments in icon painting and mosaic art.

Sources