Final answer:
The Iconophiles supported the use of icons to depict the humanity of Christ. They believed that since Jesus was incarnate, his image could be venerated. The controversy was resolved in 843 with the affirmation of the use of religious images.
Step-by-step explanation:
The group that supported the use of icons on the grounds that the imagery could be used to convey the humanity of Christ were the Iconophiles, also known as Iconodules. They held that since Jesus, considered as the son of God, became an incarnate human being, it was permissible to depict him in images. The Iconophiles argued that honoring icons with candles and incense, and by bowing before and kissing them, was not an act of idolatry but a veneration of the holy figures they represented.
On the other hand, the Iconoclasts argued that God was invisible and infinite, and thus beyond human ability to depict in images. They believed that practices such as Christians honoring images could lead to the worship of created matter instead of the creator. The Iconoclastic Controversy was finally resolved in 843 when the Church and imperial authorities definitively affirmed the use of religious images, an event celebrated as the "Triumph of Orthodoxy".