St. Lazarus Zographos
St. Lazarus Zographos was the first saint to be canonized specifically as an iconographer. He lived in the ninth century in Armenia. Unfortunately, this was a period of strict resistance to religious icons, so the writing of icons was outlawed. Lazarus, however, believed in the power of icons to help people contemplate the deep mysteries of the faith. When he wrote icons, he sought to draw upon his own prayer and faith in order to help those who would view his icons in the future. His life was cut short due to the persecution he faced as he continued his iconography, even writing icons while in jail for opposing iconoclasm.