Monumental painting of Latin patronage in the southern Greek mainland and the islands (13th- 15th... more Monumental painting of Latin patronage in the southern Greek mainland and the islands (13th- 15th centuries)
in: Vicky Foskolou, Sophia Kalopissi – Verti (eds), Intercultural Encounters in Medieval Greece after 1204: The Evidence of Art and Material Culture, Byzantioς. Studies in Byzantine History and Civilization, 19, Turnhout (Brepols), 2022
Aim of the paper is to reexamine three iconographic subjects appearing in the painted programmes ... more Aim of the paper is to reexamine three iconographic subjects appearing in the painted programmes of Orthodox churches in Venetian Crete that have generally been characterized as Western influence in the light of Latin Catholic tradition and especially of Mendicant teachings and religiosity. The giant figure of St Christopher carrying the infant Christ on his shoulder, the flayed St Bartholomew and the Throne of Grace are analyzed in terms of their iconography; their models and parallels are found in earlier and contemporary Italian works. The theological views, texts and practices behind their creation are also investigated. The common element in all three of these examples is the fact that they are faithful copies of Western religious works, often associated with the Mendicant orders and more specifically the Franciscans. On this basis the attractive proposition was put forward that the Latin religious orders helped to disseminate these particular iconographies to Venetian Crete and that the latter are yet another indication of the role the orders played in the religious life of the island.
in: Charikleia Diamanti and Anastasia Vassiliou (eds.), ̕ Eν Σοφίᾳ μαθητεύσαντες Essays in Byzantine Material Culture and Society in Honour of Sophia Kalopissi-Verti, Oxford (Archaeopress Publishing Ltd) 2019, pp. 1-6.
in: Charikleia Diamanti and Anastasia Vassiliou (eds.), ̕ Eν Σοφίᾳ μαθητεύσαντες Essays in Byzantine Material Culture and Society in Honour of Sophia Kalopissi-Verti, Oxford (Archaeopress Publishing Ltd) 2019, pp. 376-387.
Abstract
The article examines the dedicatory inscription of the so called ‘Omorphe Ekklesia’ in A... more Abstract The article examines the dedicatory inscription of the so called ‘Omorphe Ekklesia’ in Aegina, a small chapel initially dedicated to the Sts Theodores and decorated with frescoes in 1289. The inscription’s special interest lies in the fact that on the under Latin rule island, the anonymous patron chose to date his patronage by referring to the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and the Patriarch of Constantinople, Athanasios I.
The article explores the narrative strategies employed in the monumental painting
of the Middle... more The article explores the narrative strategies employed in the monumental painting of the Middle and Late Byzantine period and considers whether the different methods of narration and the degree of narrativity can reveal anything about the ‘function’ of the work, its creators, its audience and finally its period; in other words whether a narratological approach to visual narrative could be a tool for analysing a work of art in socio-historical terms. This is determined firstly by identifying similar narrative structures in contemporary literature and secondly by looking for information on how contemporary viewers ‘read’ the ‘story’ in monumental narrative paintings.
The paper aims to reveal the multiple layers of information
that are concealed in the so-called e... more The paper aims to reveal the multiple layers of information that are concealed in the so-called eulogies, that is, the objects which pilgrims received from a holy place as a memento of their visit. By focusing on their iconography, in particular, I try to demonstrate how their sketchy representations, when studied against archaeological evidence and textual sources, can offer us sound information on the topography of pilgrimage shrines, the existence of devotional icons and more generally on religious practices and the cult of saints.
The article is an extensive form of the introductory lecture at a session with the title “Local s... more The article is an extensive form of the introductory lecture at a session with the title “Local saints – local cult of saints“ of the 32nd Symposium of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Archaeology and Art of the Christian Archaeological Society (Athens 2012). Aim of the study is to present the material means, practices, signs and symbols that contribute to the emergence of local holy figures. In this respect, pilgrimage and pilgrim mementoes, relics, cult icons and the pictorial narratives of saint lives, are some of the issues discussed in the paper. The importance and impact of hagiological cults within the local communities is another theme in the scope of this presentation. The hagiological texts, mainly collections of miracles, the development of pilgrimage centers and the economic activities connected with them, were topics that could unfold different aspects of this subject. Archaeological and textual testimonies in relation with the historical background were used to discuss these issues and to investigate a final general question, namely whether the appearance and development of local cults follows common patterns in each historical period of Byzantium
The article explores the apotropaic use of the written word through τhe inscriptions found on By... more The article explores the apotropaic use of the written word through τhe inscriptions found on Byzantine amulets, i.e. portable items of a private use, which were addressed to a Christian audience and have a magical character because of their depictions, symbols and inscriptions, which are not derived from the traditions of the official church. The aim of the paper is to investigate the perceptions behind the creation, possession and use of these artifacts and to demonstrate that the written word appearing on these objects has all the characteristics of a ritual language, as it is defined in anthropological and religious studies
Subject of the study is a published but relatively unknown dedicatory inscription commemorating a... more Subject of the study is a published but relatively unknown dedicatory inscription commemorating a restoration of the St. Demetrios basilika in Thessaloniki by an emperor named Michael. Research up to date has identified the ruler with Michael IX Palaiologos and date the work around 1320.
In this article we suggest that the emperor mentioned in the inscription is Michael VIII Palaiologos. Furthermore, the renovation project of the patron saint’s church of Thessaloniki is interpreted as an act inspired by the political ideology of the first Palaiologan emperor and his efforts for the revival of the Byzantine Empire.
Monumental painting of Latin patronage in the southern Greek mainland and the islands (13th- 15th... more Monumental painting of Latin patronage in the southern Greek mainland and the islands (13th- 15th centuries)
in: Vicky Foskolou, Sophia Kalopissi – Verti (eds), Intercultural Encounters in Medieval Greece after 1204: The Evidence of Art and Material Culture, Byzantioς. Studies in Byzantine History and Civilization, 19, Turnhout (Brepols), 2022
Aim of the paper is to reexamine three iconographic subjects appearing in the painted programmes ... more Aim of the paper is to reexamine three iconographic subjects appearing in the painted programmes of Orthodox churches in Venetian Crete that have generally been characterized as Western influence in the light of Latin Catholic tradition and especially of Mendicant teachings and religiosity. The giant figure of St Christopher carrying the infant Christ on his shoulder, the flayed St Bartholomew and the Throne of Grace are analyzed in terms of their iconography; their models and parallels are found in earlier and contemporary Italian works. The theological views, texts and practices behind their creation are also investigated. The common element in all three of these examples is the fact that they are faithful copies of Western religious works, often associated with the Mendicant orders and more specifically the Franciscans. On this basis the attractive proposition was put forward that the Latin religious orders helped to disseminate these particular iconographies to Venetian Crete and that the latter are yet another indication of the role the orders played in the religious life of the island.
in: Charikleia Diamanti and Anastasia Vassiliou (eds.), ̕ Eν Σοφίᾳ μαθητεύσαντες Essays in Byzantine Material Culture and Society in Honour of Sophia Kalopissi-Verti, Oxford (Archaeopress Publishing Ltd) 2019, pp. 1-6.
in: Charikleia Diamanti and Anastasia Vassiliou (eds.), ̕ Eν Σοφίᾳ μαθητεύσαντες Essays in Byzantine Material Culture and Society in Honour of Sophia Kalopissi-Verti, Oxford (Archaeopress Publishing Ltd) 2019, pp. 376-387.
Abstract
The article examines the dedicatory inscription of the so called ‘Omorphe Ekklesia’ in A... more Abstract The article examines the dedicatory inscription of the so called ‘Omorphe Ekklesia’ in Aegina, a small chapel initially dedicated to the Sts Theodores and decorated with frescoes in 1289. The inscription’s special interest lies in the fact that on the under Latin rule island, the anonymous patron chose to date his patronage by referring to the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and the Patriarch of Constantinople, Athanasios I.
The article explores the narrative strategies employed in the monumental painting
of the Middle... more The article explores the narrative strategies employed in the monumental painting of the Middle and Late Byzantine period and considers whether the different methods of narration and the degree of narrativity can reveal anything about the ‘function’ of the work, its creators, its audience and finally its period; in other words whether a narratological approach to visual narrative could be a tool for analysing a work of art in socio-historical terms. This is determined firstly by identifying similar narrative structures in contemporary literature and secondly by looking for information on how contemporary viewers ‘read’ the ‘story’ in monumental narrative paintings.
The paper aims to reveal the multiple layers of information
that are concealed in the so-called e... more The paper aims to reveal the multiple layers of information that are concealed in the so-called eulogies, that is, the objects which pilgrims received from a holy place as a memento of their visit. By focusing on their iconography, in particular, I try to demonstrate how their sketchy representations, when studied against archaeological evidence and textual sources, can offer us sound information on the topography of pilgrimage shrines, the existence of devotional icons and more generally on religious practices and the cult of saints.
The article is an extensive form of the introductory lecture at a session with the title “Local s... more The article is an extensive form of the introductory lecture at a session with the title “Local saints – local cult of saints“ of the 32nd Symposium of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Archaeology and Art of the Christian Archaeological Society (Athens 2012). Aim of the study is to present the material means, practices, signs and symbols that contribute to the emergence of local holy figures. In this respect, pilgrimage and pilgrim mementoes, relics, cult icons and the pictorial narratives of saint lives, are some of the issues discussed in the paper. The importance and impact of hagiological cults within the local communities is another theme in the scope of this presentation. The hagiological texts, mainly collections of miracles, the development of pilgrimage centers and the economic activities connected with them, were topics that could unfold different aspects of this subject. Archaeological and textual testimonies in relation with the historical background were used to discuss these issues and to investigate a final general question, namely whether the appearance and development of local cults follows common patterns in each historical period of Byzantium
The article explores the apotropaic use of the written word through τhe inscriptions found on By... more The article explores the apotropaic use of the written word through τhe inscriptions found on Byzantine amulets, i.e. portable items of a private use, which were addressed to a Christian audience and have a magical character because of their depictions, symbols and inscriptions, which are not derived from the traditions of the official church. The aim of the paper is to investigate the perceptions behind the creation, possession and use of these artifacts and to demonstrate that the written word appearing on these objects has all the characteristics of a ritual language, as it is defined in anthropological and religious studies
Subject of the study is a published but relatively unknown dedicatory inscription commemorating a... more Subject of the study is a published but relatively unknown dedicatory inscription commemorating a restoration of the St. Demetrios basilika in Thessaloniki by an emperor named Michael. Research up to date has identified the ruler with Michael IX Palaiologos and date the work around 1320.
In this article we suggest that the emperor mentioned in the inscription is Michael VIII Palaiologos. Furthermore, the renovation project of the patron saint’s church of Thessaloniki is interpreted as an act inspired by the political ideology of the first Palaiologan emperor and his efforts for the revival of the Byzantine Empire.
The aim of this conference is to examine the artistic legacy of the Mendicant Orders, namely the... more The aim of this conference is to examine the artistic legacy of the Mendicant Orders, namely the Franciscans and the Dominicans, in the eastern Mediterranean. This is a hitherto unexplored topic, overshadowed by the extensive research on the mendicants mainly in Italy and the West in general. Unlike the Crusaders, who were viewed with hostility in the East, the ascetic way of living of the mendicants was instrumental in promoting a compassionate face of Catholic Western Europe in the eyes of Orthodox Easterners. Their vow to poverty and active charity towards the poor brought in closer contact two worlds of differing doctrines, hitherto divided by the trauma of the religious schism in 1054 and the sack of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204.
Byzantine Studies Colloquium “Monumental Painting in Byzantium and Beyond: New Perspectives”, Dum... more Byzantine Studies Colloquium “Monumental Painting in Byzantium and Beyond: New Perspectives”, Dumbarton Oaks, 4 November 2016.
Art and the City. International Symposium Organized by Module Art - Architecture - Urban Plannin... more Art and the City. International Symposium Organized by Module Art - Architecture - Urban Planning, School of Humanities, Hellenic Open University (Athens, 17-18 March 2017).
CHRISTIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY 36th Symposium on Byzantine and Post-byzantine Archaeology and A... more CHRISTIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY 36th Symposium on Byzantine and Post-byzantine Archaeology and Art, Athens, 20, 21 and 22 May 2016, pp. 117-18.
Based on the evidence of artistic production and material culture this collective volume aims at ... more Based on the evidence of artistic production and material culture this collective volume aims at exploring cross-cultural relations and interaction between Greeks and Latins in late medieval Greece in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade. Fourteen essays discuss mostly new and unpublished archaeological and artistic material, including architecture, sculpture, wall-paintings and icons, pottery and other small finds, but also the evidence of music and poetry. Through the surviving material of these artistic activities this volume explores the way Byzantines and Latins lived side by side on the Greek mainland and the Aegean islands from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries and traces the mechanisms that led to the emergence of the new, composite world of the Latin East.
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Papers by Vicky Foskolou
The article examines the dedicatory inscription of the so called ‘Omorphe Ekklesia’ in Aegina, a small chapel initially dedicated to the Sts Theodores and decorated with frescoes in 1289. The inscription’s special interest lies in the fact that on the under Latin rule island, the anonymous patron chose to date his patronage by referring to the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and the Patriarch of Constantinople, Athanasios I.
of the Middle and Late Byzantine period and considers whether
the different methods of narration and the degree of narrativity can
reveal anything about the ‘function’ of the work, its creators, its
audience and finally its period; in other words whether a narratological
approach to visual narrative could be a tool for analysing a work of
art in socio-historical terms. This is determined firstly by identifying similar narrative structures in contemporary literature and secondly by looking for information on how contemporary viewers ‘read’ the ‘story’ in monumental narrative paintings.
that are concealed in the so-called eulogies, that is, the objects
which pilgrims received from a holy place as a memento
of their visit. By focusing on their iconography, in particular, I
try to demonstrate how their sketchy representations, when
studied against archaeological evidence and textual sources,
can offer us sound information on the topography of pilgrimage
shrines, the existence of devotional icons and more
generally on religious practices and the cult of saints.
Aim of the study is to present the material means, practices, signs and symbols that contribute to the emergence of local holy figures. In this respect, pilgrimage and pilgrim mementoes, relics, cult icons and the pictorial narratives of saint lives, are some of the issues discussed in the paper.
The importance and impact of hagiological cults within the local communities is another theme in the scope of this presentation. The hagiological texts, mainly collections of miracles, the development of pilgrimage centers and the economic activities connected with them, were topics that could unfold different aspects of this subject.
Archaeological and textual testimonies in relation with the historical background were used to discuss these issues and to investigate a final general question, namely whether the appearance and development of local cults follows common patterns in each historical period of Byzantium
In this article we suggest that the emperor mentioned in the inscription is Michael VIII Palaiologos. Furthermore, the renovation project of the patron saint’s church of Thessaloniki is interpreted as an act inspired by the political ideology of the first Palaiologan emperor and his efforts for the revival of the Byzantine Empire.
The article examines the dedicatory inscription of the so called ‘Omorphe Ekklesia’ in Aegina, a small chapel initially dedicated to the Sts Theodores and decorated with frescoes in 1289. The inscription’s special interest lies in the fact that on the under Latin rule island, the anonymous patron chose to date his patronage by referring to the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and the Patriarch of Constantinople, Athanasios I.
of the Middle and Late Byzantine period and considers whether
the different methods of narration and the degree of narrativity can
reveal anything about the ‘function’ of the work, its creators, its
audience and finally its period; in other words whether a narratological
approach to visual narrative could be a tool for analysing a work of
art in socio-historical terms. This is determined firstly by identifying similar narrative structures in contemporary literature and secondly by looking for information on how contemporary viewers ‘read’ the ‘story’ in monumental narrative paintings.
that are concealed in the so-called eulogies, that is, the objects
which pilgrims received from a holy place as a memento
of their visit. By focusing on their iconography, in particular, I
try to demonstrate how their sketchy representations, when
studied against archaeological evidence and textual sources,
can offer us sound information on the topography of pilgrimage
shrines, the existence of devotional icons and more
generally on religious practices and the cult of saints.
Aim of the study is to present the material means, practices, signs and symbols that contribute to the emergence of local holy figures. In this respect, pilgrimage and pilgrim mementoes, relics, cult icons and the pictorial narratives of saint lives, are some of the issues discussed in the paper.
The importance and impact of hagiological cults within the local communities is another theme in the scope of this presentation. The hagiological texts, mainly collections of miracles, the development of pilgrimage centers and the economic activities connected with them, were topics that could unfold different aspects of this subject.
Archaeological and textual testimonies in relation with the historical background were used to discuss these issues and to investigate a final general question, namely whether the appearance and development of local cults follows common patterns in each historical period of Byzantium
In this article we suggest that the emperor mentioned in the inscription is Michael VIII Palaiologos. Furthermore, the renovation project of the patron saint’s church of Thessaloniki is interpreted as an act inspired by the political ideology of the first Palaiologan emperor and his efforts for the revival of the Byzantine Empire.