Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ

The Foundation for Sacred Arts ^ | April 1, 2010 | Rachel Ross

[bronxville]

Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ

The Chi Rho may well be one of the most recognized of Christian symbols, and it represents Christ himself. This simple symbol is made up of a superimposed "X" (chi) and a "P" (rho), the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek.

Used from the earliest days of Christianity on lamps, liturgical objects, sarcophagi, and in catacomb painting, and still in wide use today, the Chi Rho is linked to the conversion of the Roman empire in the fourth century. In 312 AD, on the eve of his battle against Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge, Constantine received a vision of this very sign blazing in the sky accompanied by a voice which assured him, "In this sign you will conquer." Constantine had this symbol put on his imperial standard and was, in fact, victorious.

While there are certainly many other symbols that represent the Resurrection, none embodies it as completely as this symbol of Christ himself. Our Lord told Saint Martha, "I AM the Resurrection and the life." Christ is the guarantor of the Christian hope in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. As was promised to Constantine, it is in the name of Christ that we achieve victory. May we live confident in the Victor, the Risen Christ, this Easter season and always.

Rachel Ross Curator of Art

[bronxville]

[Jack Hydrazine]

I thought it was the fish which predates the cheerio.

[bronxville]

Anchor, fish, and Chi-Rho symbols from the Catacombs of St. Sebastian.

[Joe 6-pack]

This is an excellent and highly recommended resource for persons interested in such matters...

...I still have a dog-eared copy from my college days and I frequently consult it when painting, and it's worth having with you on those museum visits.

[bronxville]

Early Christian Symbols in the Catacombs
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

Anchor, fish, and Chi-Rho symbols from the Catacombs of St. Sebastian.

Easter week of 2002 I visited the Catacombs of St. Callixtus in Rome, burial place of tens of thousands of early Christians. Our group descended from the warm air above, down a steep stairway into the cool and musty catacombs several levels beneath the surface. Here were thousands of niches hollowed out in the walls, used for burial from about 150 - 410 AD. Violent persecution of Christians came from time to time. Here lay also the revered tombs of the martyrs.

This underground funereal labyrinth contains some of the very earliest artifacts of Christianity we have. Here Christians mourning their loved ones would express their faith in Christ and his promises. Much of this is done in symbols — first in words and crude drawings inscribed into soft marble tombstones, later in colorful fresco paintings that adorned special areas. From the fourth century you can see a few elaborately carved sarcophagi commissioned by wealthy believers.

I was fascinated to learn that the symbol of the cross itself was only rarely used in the catacombs. Rather, other symbols are inscribed into thousands of marble tombstones as a testimony to the early Christians’ faith in Christ their Savior.
http://www.jesuswalk.com/christian-symbols/early-christian-symbols.htm

Thanks Joe I’ll check it out.

[bronxville]

Chi-Rho. Chi and Rho are the first two letters (ΧΡ) of "Christ" in Greek ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ. (Christos). Sometimes it is called the Monogram of Christ, Chrismon, or Labarum. It was used very early by persecuted Christians in the catacombs. Later, when Constantine was struggling to become emperor, he lifted this symbol at the front of his victorious armies. Sometimes the Chi-Rho appears with the first and last Greek letters, Alpha (Αα) and Omega (Ωω), a symbol of eternal life in Christ, who is the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:11). The IHS symbol appears very rarely in the catacombs. Fish Symbol. Another common symbol was the fish. Sometimes it depicts men who have been caught by Christ and his apostles ("I will make you fishers of men," Matthew 4:19). But the fish (Greek ichthus), through a Greek acrostic, also became a symbol of Jesus himself, each letter standing for a word that explains who he is. So far in my perusal of catacomb pictures, all the fish seem to have scales, unlike the simple ichthus fish widely used in our day. Anchor Symbol. A third common item in catacomb symbology is a boat anchor. It expresses the firm expectation of eternal life that we Christians enjoy: "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). The anchor also was used as a disguised cross in a day when the cross itself was seldom used for fear of persecution. The crosspiece or "stock" at the top of the anchor reminded Christians of the cross on which Jesus died. The Shepherd. Detail of the central shepherd from the intricately carved marble Sarcophagus of the Good Shepherd, Catacomb of Praetextatus, Rome, 390s AD. Full sarcophagus. Good Shepherd Symbol. Also very popular is the Good Shepherd, a symbol of Christ's care for his sheep ("I am the Good Shepherd," John 10:11). Sometimes the shepherd is seen carrying a sheep over his shoulders; occasionally the sheep is by his side. Orante or Praying Figure. A fifth common symbol is of a Christian with arms lifted in prayer and praise, expressing the soul at peace in paradise. Dove Symbol. Finally, a dove with an olive branch in its mouth appears as a symbol of the peace and happiness of the soul. The olive branch comes from the story of Noah, who after the flood dispatched a dove to find dry land; it finally returned with an olive branch in its mouth as a sign of returning vegetation in a habitable land (Genesis 8:11). Only occasionally in catacomb art does the dove represent as the Holy Spirit, though in later Christian symbology, that is the chief meaning of the dove. Other symbols appear but not as frequently -- The peacock as a symbol of eternal life; The ship of the church, which, like Noah's ark, carries Christians safely to their eternal destination in heaven; Palm branches, a symbol of victory in heaven (Revelation 7:9); and Vine, branches and grape clusters ("I am the vine, you are the branches," John 15:1-6). The cross became the prominent symbol of the faith from the fifth century and beyond, but the catacomb figures described above mark the very earliest symbols of Christianity. You can see many examples of these symbols from the catacombs in my website, Early Christian Symbols from the Catacombs (www.jesuswalk.com/christian-symbols/).

[bronxville]

Detail of the central shepherd from the intricately carved marble Sarcophagus of the Good Shepherd , Catacomb of Praetextatus, Rome, 390s AD. (Sorry there were paragraphs in the above post prior to posting)

[bronxville]

Full sarcophagus.

[I Buried My Guns]

I am ignorant of all this symbolism, and when I first read the title of the article I thought it referred to Korean Catholics.

[DManA]

The old painters used symbols that their viewers were familiar with. Do you paint for targeted audiences? If not what is your reason for using symbols the typical viewer won’t understand? Just curious.

[Joe 6-pack]

"The old painters used symbols that their viewers were familiar with. Do you paint for targeted audiences? If not what is your reason for using symbols the typical viewer won’t understand? Just curious."

I dabble in medieval manuscript illumination, miniatures and icons. In that day and age, painters were not so much celebrated for their "creativity" so much as they were their ability to adhere to rigid iconography and adherence to themes. In order to look "authentic" you have to borrow heavily from the illuminators and scribes of that age as they did from one another.

[DManA]

Neat. Got any examples up anywhere?

[Joe 6-pack]

You can click on my screen name and look about halfway down my homepage :-)

[DManA]

Pretty fancy “dabbling”. You’re too modest.

[Joe 6-pack]

LOL...compared to the real masters, I'm but a dabbler, lol...

This is what it looks like when the pros do it...

[DManA]

Have you heard about the St. John’s Bible?

http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/

They sent some pages of it around to various churches in the region including our (Lutheran) church. Unbelievable beautiful.

[johngrace]

GREAT POST!

[will of the people]

In a similar but hopefully unrelated vein, Microsoft has recently announced it will no longer support its popular Chi-Rho (XP) operating system, focusing instead on 7, the perfect and complete OS.

[Salvation]

Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ
The Holy Cross
Pope Benedict explains veneration of images before heading to Holy Land (CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS)
Liturgical Vestments (and prayers the priest says while vesting for Mass)

Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus}
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Scapulars [Ecumenical]
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, The Miraculous Medal [Ecumenical]
'Holy Things To The Holy': Sacred Things, Places, and Times [Ecumenical]
Purification of Sacred Vessels in U.S. (and more on the Purification of our Lord)

Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Relics and the Incorruptibles
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Ashes
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Palm Branches
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Incense
Why We Need Sacred Art

Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Sacred Images: Statues and Other Icons
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Crucifixes and Crosses
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, [New] Fire, Paschal Candle
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Holy Oils
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, [Holy] Water