Iconography

The art of making icons. An iconographer who aspires to make a theological statement may be said to “write” an icon. The term also refers to the whole history and tradition of the Christian use of icons. A number of conventions of iconography have been maintained, such as the frontal position, inverse perspective, and elongated and somber features. This is the style of iconography defended by the Seventh Ecumenical Council of 787. The term also refers to the entire planned scheme of pictorial representations in a church building. In this sense, it is possible to consider the iconography of a cathedral or a great chapel.