Editing Icon (section)

==Symbolism==
In the icons of Eastern Orthodoxy, and of the early Medieval West, very little room is made for artistic license. Almost everything within the image has a symbolic aspect. Christ, the saints, and the angels all have halos. Angels (and often [[John the Baptist]]) have wings because they are messengers. Figures have consistent facial appearances, hold attributes personal to them, and use a few conventional poses.  Archangels bear a thin staff and sometimes a mirror.

Colour plays an important role as well. Gold represents the radiance of Heaven; red, divine life. Blue is the colour of human life, white is the [[Uncreated Light]] of God, only used for [[Death and Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]] and [[Transfiguration of Jesus|transfiguration]] of Christ. In icons of Jesus and Mary, Jesus wears red undergarment with a blue outer garment (representing God becoming human) and Mary wears a blue undergarment with a red overgarment (representing a human who was granted gifts by God), and thus the doctrine of [[Theosis (Eastern Orthodox theology)|deification]] is conveyed by icons. Letters are symbols too. Most icons incorporate some calligraphic text naming the person or event depicted. Even this is often presented in a stylized manner.