2.1 After iconoclasm

The official end of Iconoclasm in 843, which gave the veneration of icons the seal of approval, is commemorated by the Orthodox Church with the feast of the Restoration of Orthodoxy, held annually on the first Sunday in Lent. The Church awarded saintly status to those who defended the veneration of icons during its ban, either with their writings or with their lives. Such is the case of the monk Lazarus, who was tortured for refusing to give up the painting of icons during Iconoclasm. A miniature in the Ioannis Skylitzes chronicle (Codex Vitr. 26-2), dated to the twelfth century, depicts him at work within a church, painting an icon of the Virgin and Child (Figure 3). This is an important manuscript illumination, as it presents icon painting as a highly spiritual undertaking, which required contemplation and concentration, in accordance with religious texts which often portray painters as ‘inspired’, and aided by divine guidance. In fact, this belief reflects the sacredness of icon painting.

Figure 3 Lazarus painting an Icon of the Virgin in the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, 12th century, parchment manuscript, folio 36 x 27 cm, chronicle of Ioannis Skylitzes (Skylitzes Martinensis, Codex Vitr. 26-2, fol. 50r).

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This is a photograph of the manuscript imagery mentioned in the text. The monastery building can be seen, depicted here as a small-proportioned and visually simple building. On the left, the wall is open to the viewer and Lazarus can be seen at work, painting an Icon of the Virgin.

Figure 3 Lazarus painting an Icon of the Virgin in the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, 12th century, parchment manuscript, folio 36 ...