8. Dionesius of Fournas

Dionysius is well known among the iconographic community for his book, "Interpretation of the Art of Painting", a treatise/manual about the materials, the techniques and the imaging typology (the way the saints must seem or how to set up the scenes -ie Nativity, Crucifixion etc), which still remains one of the most influencial books of Byzantine painting-although quite obsolete regarding the materials and techniques. Dionysius adviced -and drove- his contemporary younger artists to "study the works of Manouel Panselinos", which Dionysius considered the best of the painters. Indeed, his

style is inspired by Panselinos and the Macedonian School of the 14th century while Dionysius, in turn, influenced other contemporary artists to adopt and follow this style. This movement of the return to the 14th century art that characterized early 17th century, could be considered as a reaction to the contemporary -then- style(s) that had deviated from the traditional byzantine style (either Macedonian or Cretan) with  many western (Italian Renaissance mainly)  and folk add-ons.

Dionysius, a monk himself, was born in Fournas, a village in mountainous Evritania and maintained a workshop in Karies, the administrative centre of Mount Athos.  His works can be seen in the monastery of Karakalou in Mount Athos. But apart from being a great painter, Dionysius' biggest contribution to Art was that he was the first to praise Manouel Panselinos and his art, who would otherwise have remained unknown and underestimated.

7. Michael Damaskinos

the decapitation of St Paraskevi

Michael Damaskinos was one of the greatest iconographers /painters of Crete in the post Byzantine times. The value of Damaskinos lies in the fact that he could apply equally succesfully both  the "maniera greca" -byzantine icongraphic style- and the "maniera latina"- the italian Renaissance/mannerist style. The mixing of these two styles produced an hybrid that is occasionally called Cretan-Venetian style on the ground that Crete was under the Venetian rule then and Venetian art was a major influence for the Cretan painters. His works are often complex compositions , characterized by passionate gestures and action - late Renaissance and Mannerism  influence, the saints who  are  serene and patient-characteristic of byzantine iconographic standards, background and perspective, rich red colours in the tunics. The sanquir of the faces of

St Sergius and St Vachus

the saints is brown conforming with the Cretan school of iconography. A characteristic sample of his hybridic style is the decapitation of Saint Paraskevi. His pallette follows the rules of "tetrachromia"-the use of 4 basic colours (white, black, yellow ochre and red ochre that can produce the rest of the colours) according to the Greek tradition, but at the same time he applies the "chiaroscuro" - the contrast between dark and light- according to the Renaissance principles. In some cases he also uses the "cangiante" technique -use of a different colour instead of the lighter tone of the background colour, a Renaissance technique also.

Nativity

It wouldn't be an exaggeration that Damaskinos was the meeting point of the two styles (Byzantine and Italian) that produced the modern greek painting for the centuries to come. His style influenced both the secular and the religious Art of Greece. Thus the Nazarene style in orthodox iconography (the one identified by the many western elements) was accepted even by the iconographic workshops of the Mount Athos, the spiritual centre of Orthodoxy, and other workshops scattered in the wider Greek territory (in Chionades - a village in Epirus, Galatista and Chalastra -villages  in the outskirts of Thessaloniki).

Joshua Tree

6. Chora monastery

At the north-west side of the old city walls of Istanbul, we can find Kariye Camii or, to use the Byzantine name, Moni Choras (Chora Monastery). A place dedicated to worshiping God but also a place decorated with sophisticated wall paintings and mosaics. (following the style of the Macedonian School of painting). The mosaic depicting Christ with Virgin Mary is the epitomy of Classicism,  a direct predecessor of the Renaissance - It's worth mentioning that  Classicism and ancient Greek culture were always present among Byzantine high class, therefore we can't speak of any "Renaissance" in Byzantium. Notice the kindness and humanistic ethos of the faces, the fragile flesh -the pink cheeks in particular, the eyes that stare straight into the soul. There is a similar mosaic in Saint Sophia -maybe created by the same workshop. The wall paintings, most famous of which the "Resurrection", share the same humanistic spirit with harmony in movements, rythm of the limbs behind the soft pale tunics. A little further, in the "Last Judgement" an angel is holding a scroll that's unfolding and looks like a nautilus shell. and on the shell's spiral, pinned are the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, an indirect reference to the infinity of the  universe!

http://www.choramuseum.com

5. The Paris Psalter

In the 10th century A.D., Byzantium was recovering from Iconomachy and going through its first cultural renaissance, the so-called Macedonian after the name of the dynasty in power then (Macedonian dynasty 867-1056 A.D.). This renaissance lead to a revival of the ancient Greek culture concerning literature, arts and education. In painting, particularly, we can distinguish the revival of Hellenistic style and patterns. Brilliant sample of this art is the psalter with the registration number 139 of the National Library of France in Paris. It includes 14 illuminated pages of incomparable beauty and Hellenistic style that overturn the stereotypes we have about the Middle Ages art and prove that the Greek spirit was surviving in Byzantium (the confirmation was to come a couple of centuries later with the Paleologan renaissance).

4. Church of St David

There is a church towards the Upper Town of Thessaloniki that had it been situated elsewhere, in another European country, it would have been widely advertised and it would have been a good reason for a total reconstruction and touristic development of the surrounding area and would definitely be famous worldwide.  Nevertheless, the Church of Saint David (the “Quarryman’s monastery”) is among the monuments of the World Heritage list of UNESCO. The reason is that despite its small size, its frescoes and mosaic, are unique. The frescoes, on one hand, of late 12^th century –period of the Komnenian Cultural rebirth, bear the same technique and style (they may have been painted by the same workshop of Thessaloniki) with those in the church of Saint Panteleimon in Nerezi –in the outskirts of Skopje, that are considered a milestone of Painting of the Middle Ages- which they precede by 2-3 years. It’s the first sample of painting ever where human psychology is depicted with the people faces and gestures – sign of the return to the humanism-focused ancient Greek culture. The mosaic, on the other hand, must have been constructed during or shortly after the construction of the church (used to be the church of the monastery that no longer exists) which was around the 5^th century. The uniqueness of the mosaic lies on the subject of it that can’t be encountered elsewhere and it’s about the vision of the prophet Ezekiel with the Christ-Emmanuel (young, without a beard) sitted on a spectrum. The mosaic was saved from the Iconomachy conflicts because someone covered it with a cow hide and plaster.

3. Manouel Panselinos

Panselinos' self portrait

The takeover of governance of Byzantium by the

St Mercurius

Palaiologi (Byzantine family) the 13th century, brought a boom in arts and culture. In painting, in particular, a revival of ancient greek standards ( a similar revival took place during the Komnenos' period in the 11th century) reinforced the so-called "Macedonian School "of painting.  Thessaloniki emerged as a cultural/art centre and local workshops decorated churches in the town (St Catherine near the western walls, the chappel of St Euthemios in St Demetrius church -both completed during the last years of the 13th century- while other churches were decorated during the 14th century -ie St Nicolaus the Orphan- all these monuments are protected by UNESCO), in Hagion Oros - Holy Mountain- and the wider Balkan area (Studenica, Staro Nagoricino etc). The most prominent artists from Thessaloniki were Eftichios, Michael Astrapas and Manouel Panselinos.

There are no words to describe Panselinos' Art. If we take a look at his works we can detect Greek classicism, Christian spirituality, Renaissance humanism and we cannot but accept what is widely said -although it sounds  preposterous- that Panselinos was a Renaissance painter before the emergence of the Renaissance!

St Theodorus of Teron

This is mainly deduced by the way Panselinos applies his colours, particularly when creating human flesh: with brush strokes steady and tender at the same time -notice the mild reddening of the cheeks!, with pale colours and a variety of shades and elimination of lines (technique that reminds "sfumato" of the Renaissance), with the buildings in the background to strengthen the sense of depth and perspective, with eyes that stare straight into spectator's eyes- and soul-  with serenity, seriousness and love.

Jesus and His Disciples in Gethsemane

All these constitute a world that radiates eternity, light, calm spirituality. And as it is said, Panselinos never used clear black colour! It is worth mentioning his military Saints like St. Mercurius or St. Artemius, and also his female figures, eternal standards of a wonderful Greek beauty. His compositions, on the other hand, are distinguished for their rythm, their theatricality and balance. It is

The Baptism

not accidental that the style of Panselinos revived during the 18th century by artists like Dionisius of Fourna (who based his treatise/ tutorial on the works of Panselinos) who, other more and  other less succesfully rendered the spirit of his Art.  

2. Andreas Ritzos

The iconographer Andreas Ritzos is one of the prominent artists of post-Byzantine painting. Born in Candia

J.H.S. (Jesus Hominum Salvator)

(Herakleion) during the Venetian rule, he painted -icons mainly- at the end of the 15th century. Like most of his contemporary Cretan painters , Ritzos was familiar with both "maniera Greca" (the orthodox way of painting concerning the typology and subjects of the icons)  and "maniera Latina" so that he could serve customers of both doctrines (Orthodox and Catholic). Crete, at that time, was an immense iconography workshop, whose production

Virgin of the Passion

was mainly bought by Italian customers. The iconographers were organized in guilds according to western standards and it is not an exageration that there was a -unofficial-, sort of, "trading" of icons active those days, with lively offer and demand. Ritzos' works are distinguished for his in-depth knowledge of painting with elaborate rendering of faces, perspective and details that strongly affect the final result.

The Ascension

1. The scene of Nativity in Byzantine painting



Fresco, Perivleptos, Mystras 15th century



The scene of Nativity as we know it today, appears  as early as the 12th century approximately. From then on it is repeated with small changes and diversifications. In this scene we can find condensed all the principles of the Orthodox painting -and the Orthodox faith in general: simplicity/modesty (no unnecessary adornment), "charmolipi" (not to be totaly happy or totally in dispair), spirituality...

Indeed, simplicity is evident if we compare to Nativities of Western painting: simple natural environment, simple figures, not many buildings in sight -if not at all...

The same goes for the spirituality of the image: the figures are depicted with the Byzantine style, the hills and mountains are multilevel parallel terraces, the perspective appears distorted and also events that happened at different points of time are depicted in the same picture (here for example the newly-born Christ can be seen in the cave and at the same time and  closer to the viewer, baby Christ is bathed by Salome and the midwife. This simultaneous depiction of different events in one painting can be encountered quite often in the Greek folk painting in the years following the fall of Byzantium). All these transfer us to a world different from and  beyond our material world.



Cretan Icon fom Venice, 16th century

And then, there is "charmolipi", the condition where nothing cannot - and should not- elate or sadden entirely, or in other words the modesty we have to face our life with, without exaggerations because every joy contains the seed of grief and every grief contains the seed of joy (reminding of the ancient Greek "metro"/"measure" and the Chinese Yin and Yang): we can see the cave as a hole in the rock (according to the secret gospel of Jacob) that seems like a grave and Christ swaddled the way dead people were shrouded those days. The joy of the Birth contains the imminent Crucifixion - that brings, in turn, the joy of the Salvation! the animals next to Christ, a cow and a donkey remind us, the donkey on one hand-a means of transport those days, we can find the donkey again in the "Escape to Egypt" and much later in the victorious entry of Christ into Jerusalem- the course of Jesus toward the Cross, the cow, as a sacrificial animal, on the other hand,  denotes the sacrifice of Christ.  




Fresco, Pantanassa Monastery, Mystras 15th century



Also participating in the scene, the Magi, the simple folk shepherds and the Angels. It is interesting to see Josef sitting away from the baby and the mother, thoughtful and with his back -usually- turned to them while in some cases Josef can be seen talking with an old shepherd. In fact Josef is listening to the shepherd - who is the Devil disguised, in some post-Byzantine icons the iconographers add a reptilian-like tail hanging out of his hide coat(!)- who is obviously explaining to Josef why he can't be the father of the baby. The sad face of Josef expresses the reaction of a simple folk man to that kind of news, however it is this folk simplicity/naiveté that will guide Josef out of those provocative thoughts.

Finally Virgin Mary, in the central point of the image, most of the times appears laying next to her newly-born son loosely, after a painless delivery, and hugs the viewer (and all the humanity) with a look of sadness (because of the pains that are expecting her son) and tenderness.




Icon from Saint Catherine Monastery, Mount Sinai 12th century

The faces do not betray joy -conforming with the previously mentioned "charmolipi"- but surprise, disappointment (Josef) or a glorifying disposition (angels) whereas in some cases the shepherd-Devil is the only figure with signs of joy in his face!