The halo appearing and disappearing. Semiotics of images in Russian iconography

Abstract

The article discusses the ways of using halos in Russian iconography. The sign of holiness was borrowed from ancient art is among the most frequently used and important in Christian painting. In different parts of the Christian world, many variants of the halos appeared; they were used in many situations. The halo could be depicted in various colors, different shapes (crossshaped, eight-pointed, with letters, geometric patterns), sometimes marking the characters depicted in that way. The halo distinguished not only saints, also representatives of a certain stratum, and rank (monks, bishops, priests) or characters occupying a high position on the hierarchical ladder, up to and including Lucifer and demonic characters of the Apocalypse. In Russian art, such examples remained rare. However, halos had another important role: they helped to display the dynamics of events in a visual story. Appearing or disappearing from the characters, the halos indicated the moment of the acquisition of holiness or the loss of righteousness (the latter was primarily associated with the fall of Adam and Eve). The paper discusses examples of using the halos in non-obvious situations, ways of working with that sign, and the roles that it played in Russian art.