A question for those who know about Icons?

[Orthodox Andrew]

If you were to draw an Icon of the following people. Which ones would not traditionaly be given a halo, and why?

Moses
Noah
Adam
Eve
Cain
Abel
Job
Jonah
Abraham
David

[Michael the Iconographer]

If you were to draw an Icon of the following people. Which ones would not traditionaly be given a halo, and why?

Moses
Noah
Adam
Eve
Cain
Abel
Job
Jonah
Abraham
David

All of the members of that list have icons written of them except Cain. Cain is not considered a saint as he murdered his brother Abel, and thus would only be depicted in an icon which had a scene showing the killing of Abel. In this icon cain would not be given a halo and I would think that he would have his face shown in profile (sideways) to show he is not one of the elect. An example of this is the old man in the Icon of the Nativity of Christ. The old man is the devil tempting Joseph and the old man is shown in profile.

Otherwise, all the members of the list should properly have a halo in an icon written of them.

I will say this however: in festal icons sometimes not all of the saints get haloes and just the key saint or key couple of saints get them. An example of this is when I did the Icon of Christ Walking on the Water, the icon was only 14"x14" and there was not really enough room in the icon to give all of the Apostles haloes so I left them out and gave a halo only to Christ. In a larger church size version of this icon I probably would have given the Apostles haloes. In the Resurrection Icon Adam and Eve can get or go without haloes because the key person in the icon is Christ. I have seen it done both ways and their are valid reasons for either way of depicting them.

I hope this helps.

[Orthodox Andrew]

Thanks for your answer.:)

[Matrona]

Adam gets a halo: http://www.comeandseeicons.com/inp28.htm

On a completely irrelevant note, I have heard of an icon of Judas's suicide where he is depicted without a halo, but I've never seen it for myself and I haven't a clue where it is located. (I would be against that kind of icon, though, since depicting one in an icon without a halo is a way of recognizing a righteous person who has not yet been glorified, e.g. St. Raphael of Brooklyn.)

[Michael the Iconographer]

Adam gets a halo: http://www.comeandseeicons.com/inp28.htm

I have heard of an icon of Judas's suicide where he is depicted without a halo, but I've never seen it for myself and I haven't a clue where it is located.

Singularly depicted adam always gets a halo, sometimes in the Icon of the Resurrection the halo is left off (he can either get one or not get one in that icon and it just depends on the Iconographer). Judas never gets a halo, not in the Icon of Judas' Suicide nor in the Mystical Supper, also in the Icon of the Mystical Supper notice Judas is shown in profile because he is not saved.

[Matthias]

I'd give a halo to all but Cain, as someone has previously mentioned I believe.

Then again, don't we all deserve a halo for different reasons?

[Michael the Iconographer]

I'd give a halo to all but Cain, as someone has previously mentioned I believe.

Then again, don't we all deserve a halo for different reasons?

No, only saints who are recognized as such may be given haloes in icons. To do otherwise would be to break the cannons of iconography and breaking the cannons would be placing yourself outside the realm of the Holy Orthodox Church.

[Matthias]

Oh, I know that...

I meant in general. We all have halos, it's just up to us if we respect them and make use of them...

[The Prokeimenon!]

I showed an Icon to one of my older brothers once, and he said "He looks pretty happy, for a guy who's getting hit in the back of the head with a gold plate."

Oy! I learned where not to cast that Pearl... ;)

Moses