THE THEOLOGICAL SYMBOLISM OF COLOURS IN BYZANTINE ICONOGRAPHY
THE THEOLOGICAL SYMBOLISM OF COLOURS IN BYZANTINE ICONOGRAPHY

Summary/Abstract: Colours have significant importance in Byzantine iconography. They are filled with profound theological symbolism, transcending the everyday dimension of life that envisions only the aesthetic. Thus, to pervade the mystery of the icon, certain elementary notions that enquire the mystical symbolism of colours need to be acquired firstly. These details offer us a much clearer perspective on the theological teaching and message conveyed by the Byzantine icon/picture. Therefore, the present study is aimed to present the theological symbolism of colour, which is intrinsically related to the celestial and divine realities and the mystical take on life. In this respect, we will focus on colours like gold, brass, red, blue, and, of course, white, and black to emphasize the theological connotations that these colours embrace in Byzantine art. This research will refer to certain details from the Holy Scriptures, the mystical vision of Saint Dionysius, the Areopagite related to colours, and the international and Romanian literature on this matter.

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