DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2663-4619/127/115-132
Ufuk Elyiğit 
Bandırma Onyedi Eylül Üniversitesi
Turkey
uelyigit@bandirma.edu.tr
The Depiction of Holiness: A Hagiographical Examination of Two
Icon Panels in Bursa Archaeological Museum
Abstract
The guiding principles of behavior driven by devotion to Jesus Christ and His followers have triggered a form of life to which the faithful commit themselves. The life stories of saints have taken deep root in Christian society. For believers, these individuals have become symbols, and the lifestyle they maintained gave rise to the presence of figures who could be regarded as idols or, in other terms, icons. The idealization of saints has endowed sacred iconography with a place in Christian theology. Icons, which reinforce the spatial organization of churches, have also become objects of worship displayed in the central places of homes. This article concentrates on two icons housed within the Bursa Archaeological Museum. The purpose of examining these icons, depicting Saint George and Saint Nicholas, is to investigate the place of the icon concept within Christian theology and its reflection in art. To adopt a method suitable to the aim, a retrospective approach was developed to compare similar and different examples. The study indicates that the legends surrounding the figures depicted on the icons remain fresh through repetition in every period. Despite changes in technique and materials, the core theme has been constructed around similar plotlines and has continued to exert widespread influence. Based on the form and technical characteristics of the Bursa Museum’s works, as well as comparisons with similar examples, there is a growing view that these could be Greek Orthodox Icons dating to the period spanning the 18th to the 20th century.
Keywords: Hagiography, Christian Art, Icon, Saint Nicholas, Saint George