4.18 RT – Iconomachy, Iconoclasm: Reflections on the Last Decades of Scholarly Studies

During the image controversy of the eighth and ninth centuries, known as eikonomachia among the Byzantines, iconoclasts and iconodules employed diverse theories of imagery to challenge or confirm the acceptability of figurative art within the sacred sphere. This RT seeks to explore and assess the scholarly advancements made in recent decades regarding these theories. It will delve into the iconoclastic controversy, examining it from historical-political, historical-religious, historical-artistic, theological, and philosophical perspectives. Two crucial initial discussions are essential: firstly, an exploration of the distinctions and commonalities between Byzantine iconoclasm and Islamic aniconism, which gained renewed attention due to the rise of jihadist fundamentalism in the Near East in the initial two decades of this century. Secondly, an examination of the theological re-use of classical philosophical foundations such as Aristotelian logic, Platonic suspicion towards images, and the Plotinian theory of artistic representation, by both iconoclasts and iconodules. In an effort to provide a comprehensive understanding of the diverse scholarly perspectives over time, the central question guiding this reflection is: what new possibilities of “the image” emerged in Byzantium following this intricate and prolonged controversy? As a matter of fact, the Triumph of Orthodoxy did not actually mark the defeat of iconoclasm; instead, it ushered in the incorporation of iconoclastic arguments into the theology of the icon. This, in turn, paved the way for the philosophical exploration of the image by Russian theologians in the early twentieth century, emerging from the Byzantine past after a prolonged period of dormancy. This influence went on to inspire the avant-gardes of the twentieth century, where the development of abstract art was shaped by a deliberate affirmation of the icon’s legacy.