Icon

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This article is concerned with the religious images called icons, principally in Eastern Christianity. For other senses of this word, see icon (disambiguation).
Christ the Redeemer (1410s, by Andrei Rublev)
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Christ the Redeemer (1410s, by Andrei Rublev)

An icon (from Greek εἰκών, eikon, "image") is an image, picture, or representation; it is a sign or likeness that stands for an object by meaning or representing it. In history religion has often used images. Some, such as Hinduism, have a very rich iconography called murti, while others, such as Islam, limit the use of images.

In Orthodox Christianity and other icon-painting Christian traditions, the icon is generally a flat panel painting that shows a holy being or object such as Jesus, Mary, saints, angels, or the cross.

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