The Iconostasis

The term iconostasis means simply a partition covered with icons. Of rather late origin, it attained its classical form in the fifteenth century. In the churches of early Christianity, the sanctuary was separated from the nave by a low screen, latticed grill, or a low, solid wall. With the increase in the number of icons this slowly changed. The icons were first hung onto the grill in one row, and then on a second. Finally, we find up to five rows or tiers, thus giving the iconostasis the form that we recognize today. Its evolution and development raised it to the vault, both isolating the priest and at the same time blocking the complete view of the frescoes on the sanctuary walls. The solution was to use on the iconostasis itself the same iconographic plan as for the cupola, the sanctuary and the nave. Often misunderstood today, the iconostasis should be re-evaluated in terms of the theology of the icon. By no means a barrier, the iconostasis is, positively speaking, the maximal expression of all that the icon can reveal to us visually. Behind it there is nothing to be seen. Why? Simply because the wondrous mystery that is celebrated there could never be situated on our human, visual level, so to speak; such a wondrous mystery is perceived not by human eyes, but only by the soul in communion.

The iconostasis is thus not limited to simply recapitulating the entire economy of salvation for our eyes and our senses, though this is already a fact of great importance; it suggests a spiritual passage into another world which remains invisible to our earthly eyes. In other words, it symbolizes that boundary between the sensual world and the spiritual world. Beyond its didactic intent and purpose, the iconostasis invites us to a spiritual communion with the Celestial Church. It serves to emphasize that essen­tial bond between the sacrament of the glorious Body of Christ, the Eucharist—and the icon, representation of His transfigured Body.

From: The Icon - Window on the Kingdom by Michel Quenot, St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1996