REPRESENTATION OF THE SAINTS IN ORTHODOX ICONOGRAPHY

In Romanian iconography, the icon is described as an image of truth, expressing, strengthening and teaching the truth of orthodox faith. Adept and guardian of the byzantine style, the icon depicts the saints in their divine and human nature, but has traits that show the holiness, perfection and simplicity of their life. Given that the saints have been seen as modest, abstinent, fasting people, they have never been portrayed as overweight, but thin, with hollow cheeks and a frail physical appearance. In fact, the iconographic representations are characterized by a high ability to summarize the reality, the physical appearance of the saints being non-anatomical, disproportionate. Lately, it has been noticed in certain iconographic representations a change in painting style: to reproduce reality as faithfully as possible. The orientation toward the icon's external beauty involved the redefinition of the iconic portrait of the saints, who are depicted as human as possible.