Postbyzantine Art

Avent le commencement des travaux de restaurations (dégagement des interventions et des couches des peintures tardives) les peintures de l’église de St. Nicolas de Rădăuți ont été très mal connues. Maintenant, en pleine déroulement de ces travaux, nous pouvons faire quelques observations sur le programme iconographique d’ici. Dans les registres inferieures, on rencontre une galerie de saints bienheureux, surtout les saints parents du désert, et des saints évêques en médaillons sur tout le périmètre des murs des nefs latérales. Une disposition unique, laquelle, avec le cycle des Conseils œcuméniques placées dans la partie d’ouest du registre médiane (aussi presque inattendue à ce espace), dénote la fonctionnalité de cette église comme cathédrale épiscopale. D’autres traits spécifiques de son programme iconographique s’explique par la structure architecturelle unique parmi les églises peintes de Moldavie de XVe – XVIe siècles. Jusqu’au moment om n’a pas trouves encore aucune trace des cycles des Douze faites et des Passion de Christ, tellement habituelle pour la décoration des nefs des églises Moldaves. Peut être que leur emplacement autrefois a été sur les archivoltes des arches qui unisse les piliers de séparation entre la nef centrales et celles latérales, ou sur les versants de la voute en berceau, espaces, aujourd’hui entièrement couvert par des couches tardives des peintures décoratives. Ce qu’on voit maintenant du registre médian, sont les peintures dans des niches formées par les intrados de arches des piliers mentionnés, ainsi que des tympans configure par elle. La fragmentation de l’espace peint, donne une sorte d’autonomie à la peinture de chaque niche.

Collection 488, named “The codices of Albania” in the Albanian Central State Archive (CSA), took its modern form aboutthe end of the 1970s when the entire collection of the archivewas organized and indexed. It contains all the Byzantine and post-Byzantine manuscripts that were brought from the shelves of monastic, diocesan, or private libraries to the CSA. Today, Collection488 contains 119 units. Of course, originally there were many moremanuscripts from the Byzantine period and later that were copied orended up within the modern boundaries of Albania than have beensaved today. The vitality and the cultural richness of the OrthodoxChristian communities during the past centuries are clearly seen inthe various monuments of the Paleo-Christian, Byzantine, and post-Byzantine periods including: architectural monuments enriched withartistic hagiography, masterpieces of metalworking, micro-sculpture,embroidery, woodcarving, and manuscripts – examples of which canbe found within Albania. Important spiritual and cultural centers suchas Berat, Durrës, Vlora, Korça, Gjirokastër, etc., which retain an important role even today, gathered together remarkable collections ofcodices. But what happened to all those other manuscripts?

IN: Henri AMOURIC,Véronique FRANÇOIS, Lucy VALLAURI (Eds),  "Jarres et grands contenants entre Moyen Âge et Époque Moderne (Actes du Ier Congrès International Thématique de l’AIECM3-Montpellier-Lattes 19-21 novembre 2014)". Aix-en-Provence. 2016

In the Ottoman period the byzantine iconostasis of the Vlacherna church near Arta (in Epirus, Greece) was replaced by a woodcarved one around the middle of the 17th century. Several new icons were made for this iconostasis in the 19th century. In the second decade of the 20th century the iconostasis was dismantled and reassembled, while some more new icons were made.

The church of Saint Nicholas in Petra (Lesvos) is a single-aisled Basilica, roofed with gable roof. The dedicatory inscription dates the renovation of the church wall decoration to 1721 and commemorates painter Nikolaos Ritzes from the Peloponnese. The depiction of at least three iconographic cycles renders this example as one of the most rich and complete examples of post-byzantine church decoration in the island.
The church decoration is also differentiated regarding the placing of several scenes but also the inclusion of scenes more frequently depicted in the Peloponnese. The church decoration finally stands out for its sophisticated style.

Настоящото изследване представлява системен анализ на езика на над 220 гръцки надписа на църкви от XVII век в България, придружено с пълна фотографска документация. Надписите са описани по стриктни иконографски, епиграфски, граматически, текстуално-преводни и тълкувателни параметри. Последователно са разгледани фонетичните, морфологичните и синтактичните особености на гръцкия език на изследваните надписи. Прави се опит за възстановка на механизмите на писането на надписи в църковната стенна живопис по българските земи в четири отделни групи: преписани надписи; надписи, писани по памет; компилирани надписи; имитации на текст.

Институт за историја на уметноста и археологија Филозофски факултет (УКИМ) Семестар:II/ летен 2020
Византиска иконографија и семиотика-почетен курс
Иконографски водич: Велики празници

Приложениот иконографски опис претставува елементарен водич чијашто цел е препознавање на сцените во рамките на византиските фреско-ансамбли и во иконописот. Тој е сочинет како заеднички иконографски именител во визуелизацијата на секоја сцена одделно, а е базиран на упатствата за нивно сликање кој е забележен во старите ерминии. Познавањата од областа на византиската иконографија е појдовна основа за детектирање на многубројните варијанти на основниот образец.  Варијантите (отстапки, дополни, специфики) се предмет на научни проучувања. Анализата на варијантите со примена на компаративни методи, го усмеруваат истражувачот кон откривање на сознанија за зографот, сликарската работилница/ателје и кон уметничко валоризирање на делото при што особено важна компонента е откривање на причините (текстуална или дуг вид предлошка, влијанија и сл.) за појава на одредена специфика во иконографскиот модел.

The study is focused on elucidation of origins of the iconographical model of the Transfiguration of Christ around which in the second half of the twentieth century in Bulgaria has been built a legend about the pictorial representation of the Lord Jesus Christ in a spaceship. Emphasis is placed on the Transfiguration fresco from the Church of St. St. Theodore Tiron and Theodore Stratilat at Dobarsko, together with several other patterns of iconographic programs of Bulgarian churches from the sixteenth to the seventeenth century. It is the mural in the Dobarsko church that is the root of the ‘cosmic interpretation’ of the specific red geometricized post-Byzantine models of mandorla, which are very common in the Transfiguration iconography on the Balkans. Similar mandorlas are used in other iconographic schemes too, however the one from Dobarsko is the ‘prototype’ of the idea that Christ is represented inside a ‘space rocket’. Therefore, by proving the Athonite origins of this Transfiguration iconographic model, the present study aims to contribute to the dismantling of the imposed amateurish, and even offensive to the believers, way of interpreting the miracle of Christ's Transfiguration on Mount Tabor.

Диссертация представляет собой первое исследование иконных окладов с фигуративными изображениями середины XVI – первого десятилетия XVII века, выполненных в кремлевских мастерских. В работе впервые суммируется и систематизируется весь существующий материал, который дополняется сведениями о несохранившихся украшенных иконах. Ранее эти памятники не были рассмотрены как единое художественное явление с присущими ему характерными особенностями. Выделяются композиционные и стилистические изменения, которые произошли в этом виде искусства с середины XVI века по начало XVII столетия. Некоторые из произведений впервые вводятся в научный оборот; в ряде случаев благодаря натурным исследованиям удалось уточнить атрибуцию памятников. Изучение стиля, иконографии, технико-технологических особенностей позволило внести коррективы в датировки. Проанализирована роль заказчиков в создании иконографических программ окладов, а также распространение патрональных изображений на различных частях драгоценного убора. Впервые памятники московского ювелирного искусства сопоставляются с произведениями европейского прикладного искусства по целому ряду параметров (орнаментика, типология, технология). На основании художественных и технологических особенностей прослеживается работа европейских и восточных ювелиров при царском дворе. Памятники, отличающиеся от произведений других стран православного мира драгоценностью материалов и сложностью исполнения, рассматриваются как особая линия поствизантийской традиции.

After the restoration of independence of the Peć Patriarchate (1557), Serbian Icon painting (signed in old serbian-slavonic language) is experiencing a strong blooming. The depictions of Serbian rulers of the Nemanjić dynasty represent the peculiarity of the Serbian Icon painting of the 16th and 17th centuries in relation to the post-byzantin Icon painting of that time in general (Greek, Italo-Cretan, Russian etc.). Large number of Icons show representations of the founders of the Nemanjić dynasty - St. Sava and St. Simeon of Serbia, but also St. Stefan of Dečani, as well as Stefan the First-crowned, Stefan Vukanović, and the last Nemanjić, Uroš the Vth. In the second half of the 16th century, as a masterpiece of these kind of works stand out the Vita Icon of St. Stefan of Dečani (1577, master Longin) and Icon of St. Simeon and Sava with the scenes from St. Sava's life from Morača monastery (1644/45, master Jovan), which include the episodes of the Crowning of Stephen the First and his resurrection by means of his brother, first serbian archbishop Sava, in order to make him monk Simon before his death. In the sence of iconography, Icon painting of the16th and 17th century recognizes Stephen the First-crowned only as a holy king, not as a monk. One Icon - of the Deesis (National Musem in Belgrade, 1675/1676, painter Radul) - shows the "Panteon" of Saint Serbs, mainly from Nemanjić dynasty: in the upper zone near the throne of Christ, behind the Virgin and St. John the Forerunner, are painted St. Simeon and Sava od Serbia, while in the lower zone next to St. Stefan the First-martyr are depicted Stefan the First-crowned, St. Stefan of Dečani, King Uroš the Vth and Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović in full-figure.

The church of St. George the Victorious in Mlado Nagorichane was built in the second half of the 16th century, and the wall painting, which had long been covered by limestone coatings, was created toward the end of the same century. It has long been noted by the scholars that the dedication, but also the architectural conception of the church, represents a kind of imitation of the church of St. George in Staro Nagorichane. With the removal of the limestone coatings, it was concluded that the painting program was created under the influence of the church in Staro Nagorichane, which is indicated by the numerous conceptual-thematic relations and similarities. Among the rich thematic units and cycles represented in the two churches in Nagorichane, is the hagiographic cycle of the patron, Saint George. The hagiographic cycle of the Cappadocian Great Martyr from the church in Mlado Nagoricane is visualized in the second zone under the Christological cycles, and above the representations of saints from the first zone. According to the preserved scenes, but also according to the fragments of several compositions, the cycle in the church in Mlado Nagorichane probably was consisted of eighteen scenes.
The first three scenes in Mlado Nagorichane, St. George before Emperor Diocletian, The Piercing of St. George with spears and The Martyrdom of St. George in prison with the stone, depicted on the south wall, are not divided by a borderline but are merged into one story. The fourth scene on the south wall depicts one of the most often illustrated tortures of St. George on the Wheel. The scene is followed by the composition in which St. George is brought again before the Emperor Diocletian, and in continuation is The Murder of the Christians, which are less frequently represented in the painted cycles of the saint. The following scene is also one of the most frequently included legends of The Martyrdom of St. George in the lime pit. The next scene on the south wall is The Poisoning of St. George in the presence of the Emperor. The next scene, although very damaged, but in comparison with the one from Staro Nagorichane, actually depicts The Torture of St. George by nailing his feet. The last scene on the south wall is St. George beaten with ox sinews. On the west wall are depicted The Resurrection of the Dead and The Scraping of St. George. On the north wall, the scenes are damaged almost to the level of the inscriptions. However, some of them can be identified by certain preserved elements, especially compared to the scenes in Staro Nagorichane. Perhaps the following scenes were depicted: The Resurrection of the Ox, Destruction of the Idols, St. George slaying the dragon, Diocletian condemns to death St. George and Alexandra, the Beheading of St. George, The Burial of St. George and The Death of Other Christians with St. George.
The selection and the iconography of the scenes in Mlado Nagorichane are to a large extent influenced by the hagiographic cycle in King Milutin's church. However, they are not just a simple copy or imitation, while the inspiration for different schemes can be found in The Painter's Manual of Dionysius of Fourna and in some of the given examples, but they are also due to the capability and the creativity of the painters.

The foundation of the modern research of the sacred wood architecture from Maramureș was laid during WWII, in an ample monographic work, written by the art historian Victor Brătulescu. Until then, for over 75 years, the research of the wooden churches in Maramureș had almost only one significant landmark: the wooden church in Berbești. After its demolition in 1932, it disappeared into anonymity along with all the efforts made by many specialists to study and save it. The present study emphasizes the value of their work, it gathers together the historic materials, mostly unpublished, and proposes a first overall reconstruction of the wooden church from Berbești as well as an evaluation of the wooden church in an updated scientific context.

SAŸETAK: U radu se analizira zidno slikarstvo 15. veka naosa kato-likona Bogorodiåinog Uspewa manastira Treskavca. Manastir se nalazio pod jurisdikcijom Ohridske arhiepiskopije, a od kraja 14. veka bio je u sastavu Osmanskog carstva. Na osnovu izvorne graðe, turskih deftera, ut-vrðuje se status manastira i identifikuju moguãi naruåioci obnove sli-karstva naosa. U radu je paÿwa posveãena tumaåewu osobenosti ikonograf-skog programa i savremenom govoru slike, koji se posmatraju u okviru kon-teksta wihovog nastanka — pravoslavne kulture Balkana u Osmanskom car-stvu. KQUÅNE REÅI: manastir Treskavac, zidno slikarstvo, pravoslavna kultura u Osmanskom carstvu, Ciklus Stradawa Hristovih, Carski Deisis Monumentalno fresko-slikarstvo naosa crkve Uspewa Bogorodiåinog manastira Treskavca, kod Prilepa, obnovqeno je u posledwoj deceniji 15. veka. Treskavac je sveta gora od antiåkog perioda, u Vizantiji kultni Bogo-rodiåin manastir i monaški centar. U poznovizantijskom periodu Treska-vac je pod posebnom zaštitom vladara Andronika ¡¡ i wegovog sina Mihaila ¡H, daruju ga srpski kraqevi Milutin i Stefan Deåanski, a potom kraq Du-šan, koji u okviru srpske teritorije pravnim aktima potvrðuje manastirsku ekonomiju. Koherentnost svete manastirske teritorije i grada Prilepa to-kom sredweg veka, o åemu svedoåe srpski diplomatiåki izvori, nastavqa se i u okviru Osmanskog carstva. Slikarstvo naosa svedoåi o pripadawu vode-ãim tokovima pravoslavne umetnosti 15. veka. To je ujedno potvrda kontinu-iteta kulta manastira Bogorodice Treskavaåke, wegovog neprekinutog traja-wa i specifiånih institucionalnih okvira unutar pravoslavne crkve u ko-jima se razvija vizuelna kultura u Osmanskom carstvu. U istraÿivawu pravoslavne hrišãanske umetnosti i kulture druge po-lovine 15. veka Balkana, slikarstvo Treskavca pomiwe se u prouåavawima opštih slikarskih tokova kao posledica specifiånog uticaja kosturske sli

Before the mural paintings in the church of St. Nicholas of the former Bucovăț monastery (c. 1574), no traces were found of the existence of a Kastorian artistic influence in Wallachia. Carmen-Laura Dumitrescu was the first to point out the Kastorian iconographic and stylistic influences at Bucovăț. The present study proposes an investigation of the iconography and style of the paintings of Bucovăț, indicating several similarities with the murals in the church of St. Demetrius in Palatitsia (1570), the work of Nicholas of Linotopi and his team, descendants of the painting traditions of the Kastoria and Ohrid workshops. A contemporary influence originating in Serbia can also be seen at Bucovăț, pointing to the area of the newly restored Patriarchate of Peć (1557) as a place where the main painter, a Greek, may have had contacts. Our research extends to the subsequent Wallachian painted churches: the church of the Annunciation in Pitești (1564-1568 or post 1594), the church of the Căluiu monastery (1594), the Princely church in Târgoviște (late 16 th cent.), the church of Sts. Archangels in Ruda-Bârsești (1624). The study concludes that a Kastorian influence coming probably via the revitalized sites of the Archdiocese of Ohrid and the Patriarchate of Peć entered Wallachia after the mid-16 th century and blended into the iconography and the style of the local painters, being in part responsible for the peculiar iconographic and stylistic trends of the late 16 th-century Wallachian painting.

THE ICONOSTASIS IN THE CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS IN THE MONASTERY OF TOPLICA (16th CENTURY)

Summary

The original iconostasis in the church of St. Nicholas in the Monastery of Toplica dating back to the 16th century has not been preserved, and a new construction has been created in its place. From the old iconostasis are preserved the bearing beam in the upper part of the construction, the kemeria and the Great Cross with the Crucifixion and the two accompanying icons/lypiras with the representations of the Mother of God and the Apostle John. The other authentic works originating from this church are the three despotic icons Jesus Christ the Savior, Holy Mother of God Hodegetria and St. Nicholas the Warm-hearted Protector, then the epistyle with the Great Deësis and the two feast icons The Descent of the Holy Spirit and the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God.
An inscription in the form of a prayer by the duke Dimitar (Pepik) and the year 1542/43 is inscribed on the despotic icon Jesus Christ the Savior, while the two feast icons indicate the name of another donor with the same name, Dimitar from the village of Leunovo. Dimitar from Leunovo has long been regarded as a painter of both icons, but according to stylistic and iconographic features the authorship of all icons is attributed to the painter John from Grammosta, whose signature is inscribed on the crossbeam in the narthex of the church of St. Nicholas in the Monastery of Toplica (1535/36). In terms of dating, though only the icon of Jesus Christ the Savior is precisely dated in 1542/43, the year also applies to other icons from the Monastery of Toplica, except the iconostasis cross. The Great Cross belongs to a specific group of well-known iconostasis crosses from the mid-16th century that is associated with the same woodcarving workshop and is characteristic for this region only. The Great Cross is dated between the fifth to the seventh decade of the 16th century.
The iconostasis from the Monastery of Toplica belonged to the group of iconostases with two rows of icons on which were the three despotic icons, the Great Deësis and the Great Cross at the top. The two feast icons are believed to have been placed above the central and lateral entrances. However, we believe that these two icons were placed on the iconostasis in the North Parakklesion, while the central and the north entrance of the iconostasis had kemerias.