The course of the hagiographic art through time
Historical course of hagiography.
Augarus, as mark of his gratitude for his healing which happened through the grace of the icon and completed later with his baptism, raised the icon of the Holy Mandelion at the entrance of the City's gate, having first written on a plank underneath it, the phrase: "Christ God, whoever hopes in You never fails". The icon of the Lord made with no hands, after quite a few centuries in Edessa, was brought in 994AD to Constantinople, during the empire of Romanus Lekapinus.
Tradition also mentions as the first hagiographer, the Evangelist Luke. The Evangelist was the first to draw three icons- using wax, gum and colours - of the All Holy Theotokos, holding in her bosom our Lord Jesus Christ and offered them to her, wishing to know if they were pleasing to her. The Mother of the Lord accepted them saying, "The grace of the one who drew me goes through me to them". Of these three icons, one is in Peloponnesus, in the Monastery of the Great Cave which is made with wax and gum. The second it is said to be in little Russia, in a town called Vilina which was given as a gift by the byzantine emperors to the Russians, so that they may be their allies. The third icon according to the assurance of the golden sealed decree of John Gregory Giga Boeboda, ruler of Hungarovlachia, is in Cyprus at the Monastery of Kykku. Moreover according to tradition the Evangelist Luke drew some icons of the Holy Pre-eminent Apostles and some others and since then the art of drawing of the Holy Icons was passed on to good and pious people.
The history of the Byzantine Iconography was divided by historians to various periods.
- 1. The first centuries until the Iconomachy. This period is subdivided
A) In the proto-Christianity (until the time of Great Constantine).
B) In the early Christianity during 320-720AD (From the period of Great Constantine to the iconomachy)
- 2. The time of the Iconamachy (724-843AD).
- 3. The time of the Macedonians and Comnenus (867-1204AD).
- 4. The Paleologian Renaissance (1204-1453AD) or the final byzantine period.
In the first centuries of Christianity, the
proto-Christian period, was what was known as the archaic iconography, which
had a symbolic characteristic also known as the art of the catacombs. The art
structure of the catacomb depictions was liberal. It started with motifs
received from idolatric art, such as Orpheus. The purpose of this art was
plainly educational. Symbols such as a ship, fish, olive, anchor, vine etc,
were used. The wall paintings of this period were basically non artistic. They
had more religious than artistic significance.
In the early Christian period, following
the cessation of persecutions, they started to use drawing depictions of holy
persons and situations from the Old and New Testament. In this period we have
use of mosaics. There are some important wall paintings that were worked with
the art of Fresco. Important art works of this period are: at the Basilica of
Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki (5th Century), of Saint Appolinarius
in Ravenna (Italy), the fresco of Castelserpio near Milan (6th
century) etc. Of the portable icons of this period (6th century) is
the magnificent burning art of the Sinai Monastery.
During the dark years of Iconomachy, the
condemnation of the icons and in general the depictions of human forms, stopped
temporarily the course of the byzantine paintings. The iconographic circle was
replaced with decorative motifs especially from the animal and vegetable world.
Iconomachy did not create a new art but it mainly brought back the
proto-Christian ornamentation of the Churches. This period sees mainly the
development of the theology of the icon with Saint John Damascene, the
apologetic and champion of the iconophiles of the 1st phase of
iconomachy (726-787AD) with the 7th Ecumenical Synod at Nicea
(787AD) which condemned the iconomach heresy and with Saint Theodore the
Studite, the other flag bearer of Orthodoxy, who defended the icons during the
second phase of iconomachy (813-843AD)
The commotion of iconomachy ended
decisively with the endemic Synod of 843AD in Constantinople during the reign
of Saint Theodora. The Synod decided to restore the holy icons and decreed the
Sunday of Orthodoxy.
In the period of the Macedonians and the
Comnenus we have the renaissance of Orthodox Hagiography. The victory over the
iconomachs brought about substantial change in painting as well as to the whole
byzantine art. The decoration of churches is forbidden on liturgical and
dogmatic reasons. A hierarchal order is decreed as a result on iconographic
topics. This order is decreed by the Church which at present under the decision
of the 7th Ecumenical Synod, has assumed the direction of
hagiography. Thus are three iconographic groups formed: the dogmatic, the
liturgical and the historic (festive). The topic relates to a dedicated place
in the Church to which it will turn out into a canon of byzantine hagiography.
During this period we have also features of
the art. The type of the monk with dried up face, with almond shaped eyes due
to strict fasting, enters into iconography etc. We then have a return to the
Alexandrian tradition. Angelic features and saints in mosaic remind of forms in
the Hellenistic world. The posing and movement of the depicted ones are done
according to the prototypes of ancient Greek sculpture. The prophets have the
raiment, the pose and expression of orators. Generally there is a blending of
ancient and new features and the tradition is harmonized with the contemporary
art. Charles Delvoye calls this period the classical age of Byzantium.
Magnificent works of this period are: the Church of Saint Sophia at Ahrida
(1040-1045AD), the Church of Saint Panteleimon at Nerezi in Skopia (1164AD),
the magnificent mosaics of Saint Sophia of Constantinople (12thth century), of
the Daphne Monastery (11th century) and many more.
century), of the church of Saint Luke in Libadia (11
The Paleologian period is considered the
golden age of hagiography. Whatever the art of the previous centuries offered
came back with renewed life. The renaissance of the Paleologus' should be
considered as a consequent natural progression of the previous years and not as
a phenomenon that appeared suddenly. It should be explained as a re-enlivening
(by the ideas and the climate of the paleologian years) of the brilliant art of
the Macedonians and of the Comnenus'. The 14th century is an
anthropocentric century. The characteristic therefore of this renaissance is
the deep humanism. There is a turn towards the humanistic, hagiography becoming
more narrative, with the art intending to cause emotion, to touch the feelings.
Mainly, the French specialist G. Millet divided the paleologian art into two
"schools", the "Macedonian" and the "Cretan". Of course the term "schools"
which have since held, is not correct. Rather it concerns two different
currents, two different ways of approach of the paleologian hagiography.
The "Macedonian School" was born in
Constantinople and bloomed mainly in Macedonia, centered in Thessaloniki and
passed on to Serbia. The School is characterized by its realism and freedom. It
has intensity, movement and rich colours. The face and clothes are broadly
illuminated, for this they call it "broad style". It was viewed - without being
of course absolute - that this art was most inclined to the learned, the educated
classes and the courtiers. Its main proponents were Manuel Panselinus (who drew
the Chapel of Saint Euthymius of Thessaloniki and the church of the "Protatou")
Michael Astrapas and his brother Eutyhius who practiced in Serbia, George
Kalliergis etc. In the same period belongs the unrivalled in craftsmanship and
beauty monument of the Monastery of the Country in Constantinople.
From the reigning city (Constantinople) the
art passed on to Mystra during the end of the 14th century. There it
assumed a close character and produced the "Cretan School". This School remains
more faithful to the byzantine idealism. It is a conservative art, with its
characteristic conservative motions, the simplicity, the nobility of the faces
and generally its attachment to the byzantine traditions. The light in the
close style is scant and feels like it emanates from some depth, an element
that brings the faithful to profound devoutness. It was considered as an art of
monastic circles. The genuine Cretan School was first formed in Crete from
which it derived its name- after the historically significant event of the fall
of Byzantium in the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th
century. The main representative was Theophan the Cretan, who was an
hagiographer at Meteora and at the Holy Mountain. Well known for the drawing
depictions on the Catholicon (nave) of the Monastery of Dionysius is also
Zorzis (1547AD). During this period Francis Catelanus and his brother George
were hagiographers who however began to accept foreign and western elements.
Finally, in the 16th century and
all of the 17th a great peak is
noted in the portable cretan style, represented mainly by : Michael Damascene, Ganee,
Lambardo, Victor, Poulaki, Mosko etc, who however make use by a large degree of
elements from the prevailing western art.
On the 18th and 19th
century the lay art bloomed, characterized by the expression of the spirit of
the era, namely the desire of liberation from the Turkish yoke. The main
contributors were Theophilus, George Markus, Zographus etc. The faces are
expressed with simple forms, the colours are darker and generally the quality
is inferior to the previous centuries. The byzantine art had to large extent
disappeared and the western art took hold until the second half of the 20th
century. Dionysius from Fourna tried during his time (around the 18th
century AD) to bring back the byzantine art but his effort was not fruitful for
the flow thus far led to the West. Even at the Holy Mountain they used Western
art. Not until 1940-1950 the great Fotis Contoglou after superhuman struggles
managed to bring back to light the art of byzantine hagiography and to
cultivate a climate of revival of the painting tradition. During our times, the
blooming of the byzantine studies, the researches for the byzantine art, the
meeting sessions, all created a favourable atmosphere. Contemporary artists
having finally gained the necessary knowledge, can and should as an obligation
become guardians and undertake the creative continuation of the long tradition
that is called the Orthodox hagiography.