Konstantinos Vapheiades

Τhe region of the inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora is not only one of the most important centres of Christian spirituality, but a preeminent ark of medieval art. However, it should be noted in advance that speaking about Meteora, we do not refer only to the central cluster of rocks, where the most of the monasteries are found, but also to other groups of rock pillars, with a physical connection to Meteora, on which Byzantine monasteries were erected as well. Besides, when we mention Meteora, we have to bear in mind the surrounding area as well-the so-called Stagoi-in which the most of the dependencies of the Meteora monasteries were established. In addition, certain Byzantine monasteries, which are located far from the Meteora rocks, were always under the spiritual tutelage of the Holy and Great Meteoron Monastery especially. For example, the Monastery of St. Nikanor near the village Zaborda, to the north of Meteora, the Monastery of St. Vissarion near the Pindos mountain, the Monastery of Korbovo located to the east of Trikala, and the Tatarna monastery found to the southwest of Meteora. So, the number of artistic works at Meteora is actually much larger than we think. Thus, this paper provides just an outline of the visual production of Meteora and the surrounding area throughout the Byzantine period.

After the recapture of Constantinople (1261) artistic production in Byzantium experienced a recovery. In the capital of Byzantium itself this period is marked by the mosaic panel of the Deesis in the Hagia Sophia. This work constitutes a 'one-off' in Byzantine art. This fact poses a series of questions concerning the dating, the creator and the patron of the mosaic, as well as the reasons for its creation, given that no source makes any reference to these matters. The present study attempts to reexamine these issues.

The Old Monastery of Korbovo, one of the oldest in the wider Trikke region (Thessaly), is situated at the foot of a large rock in the western foothills of the Antichassia Mountains. According to the textual sources, its katholikon was erected and decorated in 1649/50. Nonetheless, the distinct artistic productions detected in its quite eclectic iconostasis reveal different phases in its decoration/renovation that span across centuries (17 th-19 th cc.). This article examines the two eighteenth-century icons of Christ Pantocrator and Virgin Hodegetria attributable by the Athonite monk Metrophanes of Chios, once part of the katholikon's iconostasis.

Our view of Middle Byzantine monumental painting on Mount Athos remains fragmentary, mainly due to the absence of textual sources on workshops and patronage. Thus, the attribution of pictorial ensembles to this period largely depends on their association with the artistic environments of Komnenian Constantinople and Thessalonike. Based on epigraphic, iconographic and stylistic evidence, the following article will offer an overall assessment of the extant fragments raising new questions as to their style, dating and patrons.

The original phase of the katholikon of the Great Meteoron Monastery (pre-1366) possessed wall-paintings, which were destroyed when the church was rebuilt by St. Joasaph Palaiologos in 1387. The St. Joasaph's katholikon was decorated sixty years after his death i.e. in 1483. However, the wall-paintings of the dome belong to a slightly earlier phase. Many parts of the church were overpainted in the 16 th century. The diakonikon was never painted, while the decoration in the prothesis belongs to the 18 th century. The wall-paintings in the west bays and on the west wall of the katholikon have been completely lost. So, the present study attempts to answer certain questions concerning the construction history of the old katholikon of the Great Meteoron Monastery, its wall-paintings, its iconographic programme and the workshop that executed it in 1483 by reexamining those paintings that have been destroyed or overpainted.

Παρότι μεγάλος αριθμός μελετών αφορούν στην ζωγραφική του 16ου-17ου αιώνα στην περιοχή της ΒΔ. Θεσσαλίας, πολλά, καίρια σημασίας, ζητήματα παραμένουν «ανοικτά» προς διερεύνηση. Λόγου χάριν, γιατί κυριαρχεί στην διακόσμηση αυτών η καλούμενη «κρητική» τεχνοτροπία; Γιατί η «Κρητική» μνημειακή ζωγραφική εμφανίζεται στα Μετέωρα πριν καθιερωθεί στο Άγιον Όρος, και γιατί αυτό συμβαίνει στην Θηβαίδα των Σταγών και όχι σε άλλη περιοχή της ηπειρωτικής Ελλάδας; Ποιές είναι οι πραγματικές διαστάσεις του φαινομένου, εφόσον δεν είναι γνωστό το σύνολο των σωζόμενων έργων της τεχνοτροπίας αυτής; Ποιοί προσλαμβάνουν και χρηματοδοτούν τους «κρητικούς» καλλιτέχνες, και γιατί επιθυμούν αυτό το είδος τέχνης; Η απάντηση στα ερωτήματα αυτά διόλου εύκολη είναι, είτε διότι οι πη-γές σιωπούν είτε γιατί η εικόνα που έχουμε για την «κρητική» ζωγραφική στην Θεσσαλία είναι ακόμη ασαφής είτε διότι καθιερωμένα στην έρευνα στερεότυπα δυσχεραίνουν την κατανόηση της καλλιτεχνικής παραγωγής της περιόδου.

During the course of conservation work on the wall-paintings in the Protaton Church on Mount Athos a number of letters were found that can form the name 'Eutychios' or 'Eutychiou', the name of one of the two painters who decorated the Peribleptos Church in Ohrid. This discovery has overturned the findings of previous research and also poses new questions. The answers to these questions constitute the aim of the present article. More specifically, the wall-paintings in the Protaton are attributed to two painters, Michael Astrapas and the painter of the Chapel of St. Euthymios in Thessalonica, and are dated to between 1309 and 1311/1312. Since there are many problematic points in Astrapas' artistic development, this article reexamines certain ensembles of wall-paintings, and particularly that of the Bogo-rodica Ljeviška Church, as a key to interpreting and solving the problem of 'Michael Astrapas'.

ΤΑ ΜΟΝΑΣΤΗΡΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΙΑΣ ΩΣ ΣΩΦΡΟΝΙΣΤΙΚΑ ΚΑΙ ΨΥΧΙΑΤΡΙΚΑ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΗΜΑΤΑ Η ΠΕΡΙΠΤΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΜΟΝΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΜΕΓ. ΜΕΤΕΩΡΟΥ Η ύπαρξη νοσοχομείων %αι ευαγών ιδρυμάτων στο Βυξάντιο είναι γνωστή, ήδη από τα τέλη του 4ου αιώνα. Κατά την διάρ%εια των επόμενων αιώνων, πολλά νέα Θε-ραπευ™ά ιδQύματα Θα %άνουν την εμφάνισή τους, χυρίως στις μεγάλες πόλεις της αυτο%ρατο0ίας. Κατά %ανόνα, αυτά λειτουρΎούσαν εντός των μοναστηρια%ών συγ-`Z.ροτημάτων.Ι 'Ενα από τα πλέον διάσημα νοσοχομεία-«ξενώνες», χατά την βυξαν-τινή ορολογία-ήταν αυτό της αυτοχρατοQ™ής Μονής του Παντο%ράτορος στην Κωνσταντινούπολη (1118-1162). Το ίδιο μοναστήρι διέθετε, επίσης, γηρο%ομείο %αί λεπρο%ομείο.2 Αλλά %αι στα χρόνια της οΘωμαν™ής %ατοχής η νοσηλεία ήταν υπό-Θεση %υρίως των ευαΎών ιδQυμάτων της Ε™λησίας %αι των μεγάλων μοναστηQίων, εντός βεβαίως του σχετι%ού με τα βαχούφια (νακίf) νομιχού πλαισίου.3 Δεν είναι, λοι-πόν, παράδοξο ότι Θεσσαλιχά μοναστήQια, όπως η Μονή του Μεγ. ΜετεώQου %αι η Μονή ΒαQλαάμ, διαθέτουν νοσοχομείο χαι γηρο%ομείο. Μάλιστα, στην βιβλιοθήχη της πρώτης σώξεται «ΙατQ™ή Συναγωγή» στον υπ' αQ. 403 %ώδι%α, του 15ου αιώνος.4 1. Γία τα νοσο%ομεία χαι την ιατρι%ή περίθαλψη στο Βυζάντιο, βλ. ενδε™τ™ώς D. Cοnstαn-teΙοs, Βyzαπfz.m Ρλι./α#fάrορy απcZ sοCz.C!J WeJ/αre, ΝeW ΒrυnSWίcΚ 1968, ιδίως 152-221. Α. Ευτυ-zιάδης, Εισcψωγ7`Εισcψωγ7`εός τηνβυζαντ-ίνη' Θεραπευτιχη', Αθήναι 1983.. Μ. Dο1S, «ΙnSαnίty ίn ΒyΖαntίne αnd ΙS1αmίc Μedίcίne», στο: J. Scαrbοrουgh (επιμ.), sy77cροSι.ωm ο7ι ΒyΖCι7ιf[.7τe ΜeCΖι.α.7τe, Dυm

This article aims to examine the material of a codex entitled Hermeneia of the Painters. The manuscript in question constitutes a copy of an esteemed constitutio textus of late byzantine period regarding the descriptions of Saint's physiognomy along with quotations from their dicta and an entry of verses and epigrams related to biblical events. As I am intended to prove, byzantine painting manuals were not just a collection of technical and iconographical advises, like the post-byzantine ones, but mainly a corpus of theoretical knowledge necessary for artists' nurture.

The aim of this study is to provide information from the field of art concerning the Church's power over the late Byzantine state and society. This is based on the unequivocal fact that art works were always an appropriate source of information about the social, religious and political developments. So, in the introductory chapter a number of literary sources are submitted testifying that important political and religious events were destined to change the balance of power in Byzantium from the second half of the 13 th century onwards. In the main chapter the iconographic subject of the " Imperial Deesis " , emerged in the 14 th century, is looked at from all sides. This is due to the fact that this subject is more convenient than others in revealing the Church's supremacy over the emperor. Given that every single one of the Orthodox Bishops constitute a vicar of Christ on earth as, it can be said that the portrait of Christ as High Priest and King of all Kings is indicative of the double role of the Church in Late Byzantium, religious and political.

According to Nikephoros Gregoras, Patriarch Athanasios I (1289-1293, 1303-1309) abdicated from the throne of Constantinople because of a malicious deed …"While he [Patriarch Athanasios] still held patriarchal office and resided mainly in the kellia around Xerolophos, his footstool was stolen from the patriarchal throne and on this the divine icon of Christ our Saviour was etched, with the Emperor Andronikos on one side with a bridle in his mouth and the Patriarch Athanasios on the other holding the reins, like a charioteer being drawn by a horse".
Regardless of whether Athanasios' abdication was due to this incident or not, this vulgar joke, combined with his choice as patriarch, provides the first indications of the Emperor's replacement by the Patriarch as the supreme imperial authority in the minds of the ecclesiastical community.