Icon is a word originating from the Greek term eikon which can mean a religious painting characteristic of orthodox churches; a concept under the semiology and semiotics or a visual representation at the computer context.
In the field of semiology and semiotics, an icon is a visual sign that represents another object because it is similar to it. Thanks to this similarity relationship, the icon can replace the thing it represents.
In the popular context, an icon can also be a very important and recognized person on your desktop. For example, an icon in the world of music or sports is a person whose good performance in this area is widely recognized.
In the field of computing, an icon is a visual representation of a program or an application. The icon is an important interface element of an operating system, as it makes it easier for the user to identify the object. For example, the icon of Internet Explorer is the blue letter "E" with a circumference that wraps the letter diagonally.
Byzantine Icons
In Orthodox countries, this is the name given to all religious painting executed on panels (often on wood). Icons have been known since the 7th century, but they are still produced today. Icons consist of representations of Jesus, the Virgin Mary or the saints.
Initially they used the encaustic technique, but soon they switched to tempering. There are also metal, ivory and ceramic icons.
This type of painting tends to be fixed on immutable stylistic characteristics, since the perfection of the model resided in the fidelity of the image to a type. One of the most important collections of (Byzantine) icons is found in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. In Slavic countries, there are very important sets of icons, and the originality of Russian schools is noteworthy.