Τhe Difference between Byzantine iconography and Paintings.

The icon is not like cosmic painting, its way of expression is spiritual and lifting those who see it to a higher level of thought, feeling and consciousness.

The paintings of the Renaissance artists express physical rather than spiritual beauty. These exquisite works, which observe carefully the anatomical details of the body and use perspective and colors and forms that we are accustomed to see in the world about us, in order to give the illusion of material reality. 

These paintings are created according to the rules of direct perspective, which gives a sense of three-dimensional depth.

Holy icons, by contrast, are painted using reverse or inverse perspective, which gives the sense of entering the divine world where space and time are insignificant. 

True iconography is intended to take us beyond anatomy and the three-dimensional world of matter to a realm that is immaterial, spaceless, timeless-the realm of the spirit, of eternity.

During the period after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, Europe experienced a time known as the “Dark Ages”. 

During this time period, most people were illiterate, and much of the previously learned knowledge was lost. 

However, arts and knowledge still flourished in the East.

After the sack of Constantinople by the crusaders (1204), it was clear to many Greeks that the empire would not recover. Wave after wave of Byzantians would immigrate to the Christian west; many to Italy due to its close proximity. 

The spark was already in Italy and Byzantian scholars brought the knowledge to light the rebirth.

Western Europeans were beginning to rediscover Greek and Roman writing, there was a renewed interest in philosophy, and cathedrals and castles began to spring up.

This rapid reintroduction of knowledge came at a time when Europe was beginning to yearn for learning and kicked off the Renaissance, impacting the world to this day.

As a reference to religious painting, she was found under the cosmic spirit of Papism and her artists have highlighted the cosmic concept of iconography, which we see dominating the West until today.