The Eloquence of Art: Essays in Honour of Henry Maguire, 2020
For those within the fields of art history and Byzantine studies, Professor Henry Maguire needs n... more For those within the fields of art history and Byzantine studies, Professor Henry Maguire needs no introduction. His publications transformed the way art historians approach medieval art through his insightful integration of rhetoric, poetry and non-canonical objects into the study of Byzantine art. His ground-breaking studies of Byzantine art that consider the natural world, magic, and imperial imagery, among other themes, have re-defined the ways medieval art is interpreted. From notable monuments to small-scale and privately-used objects, Maguire’s work has guided a generation of scholars to new conclusions about the place of art and its function in Byzantium. In this volume, twenty-three of Henry Maguire’s colleagues and friends have contributed papers in his honour, resulting in studies that reflect the broad range of his scholarly interests.
"Between Islam and Byzantium provides the first complete analysis of the development of the visua... more "Between Islam and Byzantium provides the first complete analysis of the development of the visual expression of medieval Armenian rulership during the years 884–1045 CE. During this period, the Armenian rulers had loosened the ties that subjected them to the Arab caliphate, but by its end the Byzantine empire had instead become dominant in the region. The influences exerted by these external, opposing powers are a major theme in this book. Lynn Jones re-contextualizes the existing royal art and architecture by integrating analyses of contemporary accounts of ceremonial and royal deeds with fresh examinations of the surviving monuments, of which the church at Aght`amar, with its famous carvings, is the prime example.
Setting the art and architecture of the period more clearly in its original context, the author reveals the messages these buildings, sculptures and manuscripts were intended to convey by those who created and viewed them. This study provides a new perspective on the complex interactions between a broad range of nationalities, ethnicities and religions, shedding fresh light on the nature of medieval identity. It adds to a growing literature on the eastern neighbours of Byzantium, and opens up new issues on the relationship between the Byzantine empire and the Islamic caliphate in the medieval period."
National Gallery of Art Annual Report:
An Imperial Cult? The Case of Nikephoros II in the Rock-c... more National Gallery of Art Annual Report: An Imperial Cult? The Case of Nikephoros II in the Rock-cut Church of Cavusin, Cappadocia. pp. 99-103
Essay in Convivium Supplementum: The Medieval South Caucasus: Artistic Culture of Albania, Armeni... more Essay in Convivium Supplementum: The Medieval South Caucasus: Artistic Culture of Albania, Armenia and Georgia. Edited by Ivan Foletti and Erik Thuno
Visions of Community in the Post-Roman World: The West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, 300-1100, edited by Walter Pohl, Clemens Ganther, and Richard Payne, 2012
Cross and Cruciform in the Anglo-Saxon World: Studies to Honor the Memory of Timothy Reuter, edited by Sarah Larratt Keefer, Karen Louise Jolly, and Catherine E. Karkov, 2010
This paper investigates the 'Abbasid court's development and dissemination of a specific visual e... more This paper investigates the 'Abbasid court's development and dissemination of a specific visual expression of power in the Christian states of the Caucasus, and how that visual expression was in turn adapted in the ceremonial and art of the non-Muslim recipients. The shared features of the 'Abbasid ceremonial recognitions, as reported by contemporary non-Muslim historians, indicate that the caliphate employed a standard ceremony in its vassal states. These ceremonies differ from those accorded to Islamic military generals and favored court officials only in the type of gifts presented. The article closes with an exploration of how the two most powerful Armenian families characterized and differentiated their rule through the way in which they used 'Abbasid ceremonial and displayed 'Abbasid gifts.
The thirteenth-century manuscript Greek 1409 in the Vatican Library contains an anonymous Greek e... more The thirteenth-century manuscript Greek 1409 in the Vatican Library contains an anonymous Greek ekphrasis of the jousts of an unnamed Byzantine emperor. The text, which has interest for both historians and art historians, has been cited on several occasions in the scholarly literature, but never analyzed in detail. In the following pages we provide a translation of the text, together with a commentary upon the context of the piece. We will argue that the ekphrasis not only describes a specific work of art, depicting a specific event, but also gives valuable information about the visual language through which Byzantine emperors of the twelfth century expressed their power.
The following pages trace the influence of Abbasid ceremonial and the evolution of a distinctly A... more The following pages trace the influence of Abbasid ceremonial and the evolution of a distinctly Armenian confirmation of rulership, and compare its royal message to that conveyed by Bagratuni royal imagery. This analysis utilizes both medieval texts and the surviving monuments and is divided into two sections. The first examines the textual descriptions of investitures, including the presentation of robes and regalia. The Abbasid ceremonial paradigm is characterized, and its effect on Bagratuni investiture ceremonial is demonstrated. In the discussion that follows I suggest that while Bagratuni ceremonial underwent substantial modification in response to the changing political climate, its symbolic message remained constant, emphasizing the king's piety over his temporal power. The second section of this study compares the royal message of these ceremonials with that conveyed by royal portraits. An analysis of Bagratuni portraits surviving from the latter-half of the tenth century demonstrates that they visually convey the ideology of kingship expressed in the investitures of the first three Bagratuni kings of Armenia. The final Bagratuni portrait dates to the mid-eleventh century and seemingly breaks from the established conventions of royal imagery. This image raises questions regarding patronage and the traditions of royal representation among the minor branches of the Bagratuni house.
The Eloquence of Art: Essays in Honour of Henry Maguire, 2020
For those within the fields of art history and Byzantine studies, Professor Henry Maguire needs n... more For those within the fields of art history and Byzantine studies, Professor Henry Maguire needs no introduction. His publications transformed the way art historians approach medieval art through his insightful integration of rhetoric, poetry and non-canonical objects into the study of Byzantine art. His ground-breaking studies of Byzantine art that consider the natural world, magic, and imperial imagery, among other themes, have re-defined the ways medieval art is interpreted. From notable monuments to small-scale and privately-used objects, Maguire’s work has guided a generation of scholars to new conclusions about the place of art and its function in Byzantium. In this volume, twenty-three of Henry Maguire’s colleagues and friends have contributed papers in his honour, resulting in studies that reflect the broad range of his scholarly interests.
"Between Islam and Byzantium provides the first complete analysis of the development of the visua... more "Between Islam and Byzantium provides the first complete analysis of the development of the visual expression of medieval Armenian rulership during the years 884–1045 CE. During this period, the Armenian rulers had loosened the ties that subjected them to the Arab caliphate, but by its end the Byzantine empire had instead become dominant in the region. The influences exerted by these external, opposing powers are a major theme in this book. Lynn Jones re-contextualizes the existing royal art and architecture by integrating analyses of contemporary accounts of ceremonial and royal deeds with fresh examinations of the surviving monuments, of which the church at Aght`amar, with its famous carvings, is the prime example.
Setting the art and architecture of the period more clearly in its original context, the author reveals the messages these buildings, sculptures and manuscripts were intended to convey by those who created and viewed them. This study provides a new perspective on the complex interactions between a broad range of nationalities, ethnicities and religions, shedding fresh light on the nature of medieval identity. It adds to a growing literature on the eastern neighbours of Byzantium, and opens up new issues on the relationship between the Byzantine empire and the Islamic caliphate in the medieval period."
National Gallery of Art Annual Report:
An Imperial Cult? The Case of Nikephoros II in the Rock-c... more National Gallery of Art Annual Report: An Imperial Cult? The Case of Nikephoros II in the Rock-cut Church of Cavusin, Cappadocia. pp. 99-103
Essay in Convivium Supplementum: The Medieval South Caucasus: Artistic Culture of Albania, Armeni... more Essay in Convivium Supplementum: The Medieval South Caucasus: Artistic Culture of Albania, Armenia and Georgia. Edited by Ivan Foletti and Erik Thuno
Visions of Community in the Post-Roman World: The West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, 300-1100, edited by Walter Pohl, Clemens Ganther, and Richard Payne, 2012
Cross and Cruciform in the Anglo-Saxon World: Studies to Honor the Memory of Timothy Reuter, edited by Sarah Larratt Keefer, Karen Louise Jolly, and Catherine E. Karkov, 2010
This paper investigates the 'Abbasid court's development and dissemination of a specific visual e... more This paper investigates the 'Abbasid court's development and dissemination of a specific visual expression of power in the Christian states of the Caucasus, and how that visual expression was in turn adapted in the ceremonial and art of the non-Muslim recipients. The shared features of the 'Abbasid ceremonial recognitions, as reported by contemporary non-Muslim historians, indicate that the caliphate employed a standard ceremony in its vassal states. These ceremonies differ from those accorded to Islamic military generals and favored court officials only in the type of gifts presented. The article closes with an exploration of how the two most powerful Armenian families characterized and differentiated their rule through the way in which they used 'Abbasid ceremonial and displayed 'Abbasid gifts.
The thirteenth-century manuscript Greek 1409 in the Vatican Library contains an anonymous Greek e... more The thirteenth-century manuscript Greek 1409 in the Vatican Library contains an anonymous Greek ekphrasis of the jousts of an unnamed Byzantine emperor. The text, which has interest for both historians and art historians, has been cited on several occasions in the scholarly literature, but never analyzed in detail. In the following pages we provide a translation of the text, together with a commentary upon the context of the piece. We will argue that the ekphrasis not only describes a specific work of art, depicting a specific event, but also gives valuable information about the visual language through which Byzantine emperors of the twelfth century expressed their power.
The following pages trace the influence of Abbasid ceremonial and the evolution of a distinctly A... more The following pages trace the influence of Abbasid ceremonial and the evolution of a distinctly Armenian confirmation of rulership, and compare its royal message to that conveyed by Bagratuni royal imagery. This analysis utilizes both medieval texts and the surviving monuments and is divided into two sections. The first examines the textual descriptions of investitures, including the presentation of robes and regalia. The Abbasid ceremonial paradigm is characterized, and its effect on Bagratuni investiture ceremonial is demonstrated. In the discussion that follows I suggest that while Bagratuni ceremonial underwent substantial modification in response to the changing political climate, its symbolic message remained constant, emphasizing the king's piety over his temporal power. The second section of this study compares the royal message of these ceremonials with that conveyed by royal portraits. An analysis of Bagratuni portraits surviving from the latter-half of the tenth century demonstrates that they visually convey the ideology of kingship expressed in the investitures of the first three Bagratuni kings of Armenia. The final Bagratuni portrait dates to the mid-eleventh century and seemingly breaks from the established conventions of royal imagery. This image raises questions regarding patronage and the traditions of royal representation among the minor branches of the Bagratuni house.
This paper examines the exterior and interior decorative programs of the Church of the Holy Cross... more This paper examines the exterior and interior decorative programs of the Church of the Holy Cross at Ałt'amar, the tenth-century palace church of Gagik Artsruni, King of Vaspurakan. Although the church has been the subject of numerous studies, little attention has been given to the church's palatine function. In marked contrast, other medieval palace churches have been studied almost entirely in terms of their palatine function. When the decorative programs of the Church of the Holy Cross are analyzed in this palatine context, it can be demonstrated that they were designed to convey a unified royal message through repeated associations of particular elements--the King, Adam, and the Naming of the Animals. These associations characterize the nature of Gagik Artsruni's kingship by presenting the rule of Adam in Paradise as a paradigm to which Gagik's rule could be likened. This visual expression of the nature of Gagik's kingship has parallels in Byzantine traditions of imperial representation and with the princely imagery of Islamic court art.The motivation behind this presentation of the king can be connected to the circumstances surrounding Gagik Artsruni's rise to power, and to his claim to kingship based on political legitimacy and Christian piety.
I’m working on a project that includes the Cappadocian rock-cut church of Meryemana (no. 33/ Kılı... more I’m working on a project that includes the Cappadocian rock-cut church of Meryemana (no. 33/ Kılıçlar Kuşluk, in G. de Jerphanion, Les églises rupestres de Cappadoce). The paintings are stylistically dated to the second half of the eleventh century. Two dedicatory inscriptions accompany two donor portraits. The male is clearly labeled ‘Nikandros’. The female name reads ‘EBONKHAC’. Jerphanion has documented this name as ‘Eudokia’; this has been perpetuated in the literature (L. Jones, “The Fresco Program of Meryemana,” ECA, vol. 7, 2010 – available on academia.edu).
I have three questions. 1) Does the inscription read EBONKHAC? 2) Is EBONKHAC equivalent to Eudokia? 3) If #2 is ‘no’, is EBONKHAC a hapax?
I attach two photographs of the inscription and portrait, N. Thierry’s analysis of the spelling conventions of the workshop responsible for this and two other rock-cut churches, and Jerphanion’s transcription.
Any and all suggestions are appreciated.
Lynn Jones, Project Director Brad Hostetler, Research Assistant Florida State University
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Setting the art and architecture of the period more clearly in its original context, the author reveals the messages these buildings, sculptures and manuscripts were intended to convey by those who created and viewed them. This study provides a new perspective on the complex interactions between a broad range of nationalities, ethnicities and religions, shedding fresh light on the nature of medieval identity. It adds to a growing literature on the eastern neighbours of Byzantium, and opens up new issues on the relationship between the Byzantine empire and the Islamic caliphate in the medieval period."
Papers
An Imperial Cult? The Case of Nikephoros II in the Rock-cut Church of Cavusin, Cappadocia.
pp. 99-103
Edited by Ivan Foletti and Erik Thuno
Setting the art and architecture of the period more clearly in its original context, the author reveals the messages these buildings, sculptures and manuscripts were intended to convey by those who created and viewed them. This study provides a new perspective on the complex interactions between a broad range of nationalities, ethnicities and religions, shedding fresh light on the nature of medieval identity. It adds to a growing literature on the eastern neighbours of Byzantium, and opens up new issues on the relationship between the Byzantine empire and the Islamic caliphate in the medieval period."
An Imperial Cult? The Case of Nikephoros II in the Rock-cut Church of Cavusin, Cappadocia.
pp. 99-103
Edited by Ivan Foletti and Erik Thuno
I have three questions.
1) Does the inscription read EBONKHAC?
2) Is EBONKHAC equivalent to Eudokia?
3) If #2 is ‘no’, is EBONKHAC a hapax?
I attach two photographs of the inscription and portrait, N. Thierry’s analysis of the spelling conventions of the workshop responsible for this and two other rock-cut churches, and Jerphanion’s transcription.
Any and all suggestions are appreciated.
Lynn Jones, Project Director
Brad Hostetler, Research Assistant
Florida State University