Icon as Chora: Spatial Aspects of Iconicity in Byzantium and Russia

A groundbreaking study reveals that Byzantine and early Russian icons were conceptualized as spatial entities, not flat pictures, drawing from Plato's 'Chora'—a metaphysical space uniting material and spiritual realms. This 'Icon as Chora' framework explains the miracle-working power attributed to icons, exemplified by the Chora Monastery’s iconography in Constantinople. The research demonstrates how this spatial vision transformed into flat, symbolic representations post-Byzantium, particularly in 16th-century Russia with standardized icon-painting techniques. However, the original concept persisted unconsciously in Russian culture, resurfacing in literature (Dostoevsky, Tolstoy) and cinema (Tarkovsky). The study employs theological analysis of artefacts, iconography, and historical rituals to reconstruct this lost spatial perception.

Lidov, A. (2017). Icon as Chora: Spatial Aspects of Iconicity in Byzantium and Russia. L’icône Dans La Pensée et Dans L’art, 423–447. https://doi.org/10.1484/m.sbhc-eb.5.111939