Iconography (from Greek: εικoνογραφία) refers to the making and
liturgical use of icons, pictorial representations of Biblical
scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, historical events in the
life of the Church, and portraits of the saints. Icons are
usually two-dimensional images and may be made of paint, mosaic,
embroidery, weaving, carving, engraving, or other methods. A
person who practices the art of iconography is called an
iconographer. Images have always been a vital part of the
Church, but their place was the subject of the Iconoclast
Controversy in the 8th and 9th centuries, especially in the
East. The Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of the Great
Fast (Lent) every year celebrates the reestablishment of the
Orthodox veneration of icons. The use of iconography is
considered one of the most distinctive elements of the Byzantine
Rite. From the first centuries of Christianity, icons have been
used for prayer. Orthodox Tradition tells us, for example, of
the existence of an icon of the Christ during h