The Word Became Flesh: Images of Christ in Orthodox Devotional Objects

In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, icons function as sacred images that render visible the presence of God. Saint John, author of one of the four books of the Christian Gospel, characterized Christ as “the word”; this description takes on particular significance in the Orthodox Church, where icon writing figures prominently. The Word Became Flesh features works that demonstrate both the divine (“word”) and human (“flesh”) aspects of Christ through images of his birth, life, death, and resurrection. It was organized by Meredith Lancaster, a second year graduate student in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture, under the guidance of curators Johanna G. Seasonwein and June Black.