SUBJECT & STYLE This piece is an icon called the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" (circa 1400). It is on a wood panel, painted with egg tempera, gesso and gold leaf. The imagery is divided into two panels. The top panel depicts an image of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus in the center. To the left, stand Empress Theodora and her son, Michael. On the right, is Melios the Patriarch, and three priests. In the bottom section we see more priests, Melios again, St. Theodosia and St. Stephen. The priests are holding icons/images of Jesus. Overall, the image is positioned in a way that reflects the processions that would walk through the religious buildings.
CONNECTION TO READINGS This week's reading was "Transformation to Desire: Art and Worship after Byzantine Iconoclasm" by Charles Barber. In the reading, Barber talks about the emotional reactions that viewers had to these images; "deeply passionate" reactions, something visceral being evoked merely by looking at it. Following iconoclasm, there was the argument for seperation of art and worship because of the "severity" of these reactions to these images being worshipped.This argument was brought up because they didn't want the pictures themselves being worshipped in the same way you would worship actual God - the image was just a representation, not a directly holy thing itself
CONTEXT This image is important because it affirms the role of images and icons as being central to prayer and religious function. It also makes the statement that the role of the Empress, in this case Theodora, is just as central and important. In this piece, Theodora is seen as the Byzantine Emperor. Images like this were almost "promoting" her status and image, and were used to gain leverage into power, as well as reinstating the idea of the strength of the Imperial Feminine.
Iconoclasm ARTH114A
Julia Moyle (jmoyle)
Created on October 24, 2025
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Transcript
SUBJECT & STYLE This piece is an icon called the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" (circa 1400). It is on a wood panel, painted with egg tempera, gesso and gold leaf. The imagery is divided into two panels. The top panel depicts an image of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus in the center. To the left, stand Empress Theodora and her son, Michael. On the right, is Melios the Patriarch, and three priests. In the bottom section we see more priests, Melios again, St. Theodosia and St. Stephen. The priests are holding icons/images of Jesus. Overall, the image is positioned in a way that reflects the processions that would walk through the religious buildings.
CONNECTION TO READINGS This week's reading was "Transformation to Desire: Art and Worship after Byzantine Iconoclasm" by Charles Barber. In the reading, Barber talks about the emotional reactions that viewers had to these images; "deeply passionate" reactions, something visceral being evoked merely by looking at it. Following iconoclasm, there was the argument for seperation of art and worship because of the "severity" of these reactions to these images being worshipped.This argument was brought up because they didn't want the pictures themselves being worshipped in the same way you would worship actual God - the image was just a representation, not a directly holy thing itself
CONTEXT This image is important because it affirms the role of images and icons as being central to prayer and religious function. It also makes the statement that the role of the Empress, in this case Theodora, is just as central and important. In this piece, Theodora is seen as the Byzantine Emperor. Images like this were almost "promoting" her status and image, and were used to gain leverage into power, as well as reinstating the idea of the strength of the Imperial Feminine.