I’ve heard it from others and wondered it myself when first exploring
Orthodoxy: why do we not see Jesus or the saints smile in iconography?
Why can’t they all just be happy?
Why So Serious?
Iconography of Byzantium, like that of other regions, did not develop in a
bubble, but adapted several themes from their culture’s art (from the gestures of the
right hand to books/scrolls being held in the left, etc). With that said,
I’m not aware of any Byzantine art that depicts notable people smiling.
The same goes even with photography and paintings of notable people all
throughout history before the 1950’s. Even a quick survey of United
States Presidents will reveal that they weren’t depicted smiling (click on the image to maximize it). I think our desire to see a
happy Jesus partially stems from a culture in which nearly every photograph is
taken with the preceding words of either “smile!” or “say cheese!” When
we gaze upon these solemn figures, it doesn’t seem right to us. It doesn’t
look like the Jesus we picture in our heads, or that we’ve seen depicted in
children’s Bibles and story books; that cartoon Jesus who just looks so happy
all the time.
Perhaps just as pertinent of a question is: why do we smile in nearly every
photograph? and why do we expect the work of an ancient Church to conform
to the standards of late 20th century’s photography?
Also, I think we want to be affirmed. We want Christ or a saint to
smile at us and tell us through that smile that we are loved and everything is
ok. The gaze of the saints and Savior challenge us. They look
deeply into our souls. I have found that when I am not at peace, the
countenance of Christ has a tendency to pierce me (usually that means it’s time
to go to confession). But there have also been times when I am more at
peace with Christ and I feel a loving gaze from the icon.
Mirrors and Windows
As I mentioned, icons serve as mirrors because they cause us to reflect on
our own interior state. But they are also considered windows to
heaven. Again, “heaven” is not that pretty place “up there somewhere,”
but referring to the resurrected, glorified state of being fully alive and
human in Christ.
In regards to icons as windows to heaven, we do not interpret a lack of
smiles as dullness, boredom, or anger. The icon instead manifests the
peace and serenity of life in Christ. It may also show sorrow, but it is
not a lasting sorrow (nor one that leads to depression). Rather, it is
meant to be understood as a sorrow for all of the horrors that are occurring in
the world due to sin, and a call for us to shed tears for the multitude of our
sins as well as the sins of the world.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Him, and weep before the Lord
that made us. ~Psalm 94:6 LXX
Mine eyes gushed out streams of water, because I kept not Thy Law. ~Psalm
118:136 LXX
Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.…Woe unto you that laugh
now! for ye shall mourn and weep. ~Luke 6:21,25
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to
repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner…For godly sorrow
worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the
world worketh death. ~2nd Cor. 7:9-10
Brief Thoughts on Sorrow
In all of Christendom throughout the ages, except in modern times, tears
for ones sins have been considered a virtuous and godly thing. As the
passages state above, we should feel a sense of sorrow for our constant sinning
against God. Nowadays, we have a difficult time taking sin seriously.
Unfortunately, many of us have been duped into thinking that Christianity
means living “Your Best Life Now” which is interpreted as happiness, monetary
wealth, health, fun, and games. But such a carefree attitude is foreign
to the Gospel of Christ, in which we have been promised trials and difficulties
and we have been commanded to pick up our cross and follow Christ.
Reminding us that this world is not our home, iconography depicts the sober
reality that surrounds us — the reality that modernism attempts to hide from us
with its “fun” and carefree living.
Source: http://www.orthodoxroad.com/why-dont-icons-smile/
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