Iconographic Program Research Articles

Review: Riemenschneider in Rothenburg: Sacred Space and Civic Identity in the Late Medieval City

Review: <i>Riemenschneider in Rothenburg: Sacred Space and Civic Identity in the Late Medieval City</i>

Representation of the plot of the novel "Iwein, or the Knight with the Lion" in Western European iconographic programs of the XIII-XIV centuries.

The object of this study is the representation of the plot of the knight's novel "Iwein or the Knight with the Lion" in Western European art of the XIII-XIV centuries. The subject of the study is the features of the visual language of secular medieval art, which manifested themselves in various visual representations of this plot. The purpose of this work was to identify similarities and differences in the structure of various iconographic programs created on the basis of this novel in the period under review, to analyze the dependence of the visual interpretation of the text on the functional purpose of the monument (illuminated manuscripts and monumental murals), as well as to compare the existing visual representations of the history of Yvaine with the structure of the literary plot itself. The main research methods in this work are the methods of iconographic and iconological analysis, involving the identification of relationships between the images of the iconographic program of monuments and literary subjects on which these programs are based. The novelty of the work consists in identifying the structural features of the iconographic programs of the monuments under consideration, their similarities and differences from the programs of the religious content of the era under consideration, which is important for understanding the overall picture of the development of the visual language of Western medieval art of the XIII-XIV centuries. As a result of the conducted research, it is concluded that the considered secular programs are significantly inferior in their structural complexity to programs of a religious nature, most of them represent a visual interpretation of the plot intended to demonstrate and glorify the traditional lifestyle of the knightly estate and entertainment, and only one of the considered iconographic programs of this period has a complicated structure closest to the basic one It can be considered, as well as the text of the poems of Chretien de Troyes and Hartmann von Aue, in the context of understanding its religious basis.

The Stained-Glass Windows in the Entrance Hall of the Rijksmuseum: A Coloured National Art History

Little attention has thus far been paid to the creation of the stained-glass windows in the Rijksmuseum’s Entrance Hall. However, a study of the pictorial programme for the windows reveals some remarkable choices. Driven by the ambition to present a broader overview of Dutch culture than had been disseminated until that time, the Catholic trio of Pierre Cuypers, Victor de Stuers and Joseph Alberdingk Thijm designed an iconographic programme for the stained-glass windows in the Entrance Hall. The programme for the stained-glass windows gives an overview of the major representatives of Dutch art history. Striking among them are two artists from the Northern Netherlands – Willem van Heerle and Jan van Terwen – who played almost no role in the Dutch art-historical canon at that time. The fact that these relatively unknown artists feature in the pictorial programme for the windows clearly indicates that the emphasis lies on the Roman Catholic Middle Ages and shows that it is a coloured version of Dutch art history.

Color in Medieval Castle Architecture in Present-Day Poland and Czech Republic

Colors were ubiquitous in the medieval world, and castles were no exception. While in the eyes of most people their rich color schemes manifested power and wealth, some could also read the more nuanced messages these colors conveyed. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the use and role of color in the interiors of castles of medieval Bohemia and Poland. The picture is complemented by the analysis of color decorations of defensive residences of the Teutonic Order. The discussion takes into account the varying states of preservation and draws from the available written accounts. To present the most complete picture possible, we discuss royal residences, for which unfortunately limited data are available, as well as the better-preserved castles of dukes and knights. We discuss the identified iconographic programs and their chivalric, heraldic, and hagiographic motifs. Within the scope of our discussion are late forms of floral decorations, known as “green chambers”. The numerous examples presented in the paper prove that color was an important tool of visual social communication in castle architecture: it complemented the symbolism, and sometimes carried an independent message.

ДИПТИХ ИЗ МУРАНО – ВИЗАНТИЙСКИЙ ОКЛАД VI ВЕКА

The paper is dedicated to the ivory cover, commonly referred to in scholarship as the Murano diptych. The name, alluding to one of the Vene- tian islands, derives from an 18 th -century historic record attesting the presence of one of the sides of the cover in a Murano monastery. This part of the diptych was later brought to Ravenna and today is on display at the Ravenna National Museum. The fragments of the other side of the diptych are dispersed among various museum and library collections in Manchester, Paris, Berlin, and Saint Petersburg. Notwithstanding the scattered location of the ivory, it is possible to reconstruct its constituent elements and original decoration. Besides offering a detailed analysis of the surviving fragments, this paper focuses on the overall iconographic program and formal characteristics of the diptych, and studies its reliefs in light of late antique ivory carving and church decoration. It is argued that late antique ivories represent an important source of information concerning the use of apocryphal imagery in monumental art, enabling us to reconstruct the imagery of early Byzantine narrative cycles.

Preliminary Report on the Twenty-First Excavation Season of the Archaeological Expedition to Wad Ben Naga

The twenty-first excavation season focused on the continued exploration of the so-called Isis Temple (WBN 300) and chapel WBN 1100. In the temple, the area of the northern corridor, the northern vestibule, and the southern sanctuary were primarily examined, confirming its assumed internal distribution. Numerous fragments of the temple’s iconographic and epigraphic program were retrieved. Furthermore, the southern sanctuary was uncovered and parts of a bark stand that stood in it were found. Amongst notable finds from the temple, there was also a fragment of an abacus previously documented by the Royal Prussian Expedition. Two burials were uncovered in the secondary cemetery over the temple. The excavations in the area of chapel WBN 1100 allowed to estimate its spatial limits and architectural layout. Dozens of fragments of architectural sandstone elements and reliefs coming from the chapel were recorded, adding to the growing evidence of its architectural design and iconographical program. A discard area with remains of cultic equipment and goods presumably used for the management of the cult was documented.

Cerkiew Zwiastowania NMP w Supraślu i jej freski

The Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Suprasl is the example of a medieval, monumental defensive temple. In the first half of 16th century the decoration of the wall started, with wall paintings, in the style of the Orthodox Church. The Iconographic programme of the church was based on the symbolism and allegories from the Holy Bible. It also helped in the process of Christianisation of the society. It showed the content of the gospel, the hagiographies of saints and the activity of individual Church Fathers and bishops. The ornaments of the paintings separated the zones of imagination, decorated the panels formed by the vault and groin ribs and curled rows of medallions. Despite the destruction of World War II, several dozen fragments of polychromes have survived and have been reconstructed from the destroyed church.

Review: Architectural Rhetoric and the Iconography of Authority in Colonial Mexico. The Casa de Montejo, by C. Cody Barteet

Review: Architectural Rhetoric and the Iconography of Authority in Colonial Mexico. The Casa de Montejo, by C. Cody Barteet

"УСТРОИСЯ СЕЙ ОБРАЗ В ПАМЯТЬ БЛАГОДЕЯНИЯ БОЖИЯ": СЕМЕЙНАЯ ИКОНА КАЛУЖСКИХ ДВОРЯН ПИРАМИДОВЫХ

The article deals with the history of the creation, iconography, and style of a family icon of the Piramidovs nobles from Kaluga. According to the inscription on its back the reason for ordering was Olga Piramidova’s satisfaction at the court claim. That event took place at the end of 1800. Based on historical evidence the litigation can be associated with the “Pyramidovs’ case”. The iconographic program of the monument is typical for the noble taste: the patronal saints of the family members are depicted with dialogical express in their figures. The images of St. Luke and St. Philip reflect the memorial character of the icon, since their ecclesiastical commemoration coincided with beginning and the end of the court case. Careful analysis of those and other details helps to understand the principles of identity formation scenarios and memory strategies among the Russian provincial nobility. Thanks to precise dating and a confirmed connection to a noble family permanently residing in Kaluga province, the icon becomes an important point of reference in determining the distinctive stylistic features of certain Kaluga icons. Through a series of analogies, a stylistically unified group is formed, oriented towards samples of late Moscow Baroque and associated with the aesthetic preferences of the nobility

"mit gleicher andacht alle Ins gesambt Täglich betten" : nástěnné malby Josefa Sterna v kapli Paláce šlechtičen v Brně

The chapel of the Palace of Noble Ladies represents a unique sacral space, decorated in 1756 with murals by Josef Stern (1716–1775), a leading painter of the second half of the 18th century in Moravia. In the interior of the chapel, poor maidens from aristocratic and burgher families met for daily prayers; they lived in the palace by the cut-down rules for monastic communities under the protection of a specially established foundation. It was to them that the remarkable, didactically focused iconographic programme of Stern’s paintings was to speak. Recently completed restoration work, the aim of which was the complete restoration of the murals and the entire interior of the chapel, have given rise to new reflections not only on the formally stylistic aspects of Stern’s ceiling paintings and their themes, but also on the broader context of their origin, including the functioning of the foundation and the upbringing of its wards.

The Dominican High Altar in Bern and the Failure of Iconography

THE IDIOSYNCRATIC ICONOGRAPHY of the high altar for the Dominican church in Bern has long resisted scholarly interpretation. Indeed, the seeming incoherence of the iconographic program has led recent scholars to call into question the authorship and location of the six surviving panels, rejecting outright that panels belonged together at all. My article, however, demonstrates that the unusual iconography represents an attempt by the Dominicans to commission an innovative program designed to salvage their tarnished reputation in the wake of an inquisitional trial that saw four of their brothers executed as heretics. Moreover, I argue that its perceived iconographic incoherence replicates a breakdown in the altar’s intended persuasive function; just as scholars could not decode its polemic four centuries on, it failed to cohere into a convincing argument for the friars’ redemption. The high altar thus offers an opportunity to reflect on what it means for a new iconography to come into being and, in turn, to lose its legibility for Reformation and modern viewers alike.

Ikonografia witraży Wiktora Ostrzołka w gdańskim kościele Mariackim (1977–1980)

In 1966, a commemorative decoration appeared inside St Mary’s Church in Gdansk: its main component was the painting showing Poland’s Baptism placed in the chancel. Meanwhile, a pillar by the Priests’ Chapel was decorated with a standard bearing striped concentration camp uniform cloth with numbers of priests -prisoners in Nazi camps. This referred directly to the décor of the Priests’ Chapel created not long before, and in which Polish priests murdered during WW II had been commemorated in 1965. Thus the millennial decoration of the chancel clearly associated the history of the Polish state with the history of Christianity in Poland, while the decoration of the Priests’ Chapel emphasized the martyrology of Polish priests. Both motifs were clearly continued in two large –size stained glass windows installed in the church in the late 1970s: one of them fills in the window in the Priests’ Chapel, while the other is to be found in the window closing the church’s chancel. Both were designed by Wiktor Ostrzołek, a leading stained glass designer in post -WW II Poland.&#x0D; The iconographic programme of the first refers to the martyrology of priests, yet it does not limit itself to priests -martyrs in recent history, but shows those connected with it from the very beginning: St Adalbert, Five Martyr Brothers, St Stanislaus, St John Sarkander, St Andrew Bobola and Maximilian Kolbe. Respective figures are interconnected with the use of a clear red line serving as a metaphor of the martyrs’ blood. Its continuity connecting St Adalbert with St Maximilian, thus the beginnings of the Polish state with the present, at the same time shows the continuity of the presence of the Catholic Church in Polish history.&#x0D; This continuity is even more unequivocally expressed by the iconographic programme of the chancel stained glass. Here it is the figure of Mary that stands out; she enshrouds the presentations referring to the Church’s mission, and in particular to the Church’s mission in Poland, in her protective mantle. A deep interconnection between the history of Poland and the Roman Catholic Church was presented in the three acts of entrusting Poland to God and Mary: the Baptism of Poland in 966, the Lvov Oath of John Casimir in 1656, and the Jasna Góra Pledge connected directly with the 1966 millennial celebrations.

Transfer and Reception of the Kyivan Spiritual, Artistic and Cultural Environment in the Iconography of Three Wooden Churches in Maramureș, Eighteenth Century

On the wall painting of three wooden churches from Maramureș (Borșa, Ieud Deal and Poienile Izei) there were depicted images of several saints related to the political or ecclesiastical history of Kyiv: Anthony and Theodosius from Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, other holy monks of the same Lavra, medieval Kyivan Rus saints: knyaz (prince) apostle Vladimir, Jona metropolitan of Moscow, Alexios metropolitan of Russia and Peter metropolitan of Kyiv. The aim of this article is to shed some light on the transfer paths of the images in the iconographic program from the aforementioned churches. I also illuminate the alleged conecting links between Maramureș and Kyiv, that stood behind. The presence of the aforementioned images in the iconographic program of the wooden churches indicates some ties between the village communities and the Kyivan cultural, artistic and ecclesiastic environment that determined the transfer and the reception of the images in the local iconography. I also hypothesise on the identity of some Kyivan saints depicted in the aforementioned churches. The temporal range of the study is the 18th century, a period of time when all the three churches were painted.

Unique Lassoing Scene from the Mastaba of Akhmerutnisut at Giza (G 2184)

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This article analyzes a unique scene from the Giza mastaba of Akhmerutnisut (G 2184), which shows a life-size depiction of the tomb owner holding a rope, ready to throw a lasso. The active participation of the tomb owner in a lassoing scene is unique in the iconographic program of Fifth Dynasty elite tombs. The location of this scene within the mastaba is also unparalleled: it is the first scene on the right (west side) encountered by visitors as they enter the mastaba. To understand this innovative decorative choice, this paper starts by discussing the iconography of lassoing in the Old Kingdom and its meaning in the elite tombs of the same period. The second part of this paper analyzes Akhmerutnisut’s lassoing scene with an analytical framework drawn from visual and material culture studies and focusing on the concepts of monumentality, identity and agency. This study provides a number of possible explanations—none of which are mutually exclusive—to understand why Akhmerutnisut had himself depicted as a monumental lassoer by the entrance of his funerary complex, highlighting the importance of visitor experience and participation in the design of the funerary complexes of the Old Kingdom elite.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Reprezentarea sfintelor femei în bisericile pictate în timpul lui Ștefan cel Mare în Moldova. Două exemple

The aim of this paper is to present some results of my research regarding the representation of holy women in the Moldavian churches during the reign of Stephen the Great. Most frequently, these images are found in the narthex of the church, a space of lesser spiritual intensity. A general explanation for the depiction of holy women in the narthex is related to the actual presence of women in this space during the mass and to their role in the funerary ritual and the commemoration of the dead which take place here. My study focuses on the cases of Saints Mary of Egypt and Marina the Great Martyr, the two most depicted saints in the Moldavian churches. Firstly, they have a specific way of representation, in a narrative scene. Saint Mary of Egypt is depicted as an ascetic figure together with Saint Zosimas from whom she receives the Holy Eucharist, while Saint Marina wears a red maphorion and is depicted hammering a demon. Secondly, they both have a well-defined place on the church walls, as a result of the hagiography, playing a symbolic role in the economy of space and in the iconographic program. Saint Mary of Egypt has a place in the passageway areas, in interaction with the architecture. Her representation offers an example of repentance for the believers, reassuring them of the mercifulness of God. Saint Marina is placed close to the entrances of the church, may they be doors or windows, for her role in protecting the sacred places.

A Spatial Iconographic Program of Ukrainian Baroque Iconostasis

The purpose of this article is analysis of the iconographic programs of iconostasis created in the Baroque period in the main church complexes of Ukraine - St. Sophia of Kyiv and Kyiv Pechersk monastery. It found that the iconostasis of the side altars of St. Sophia and Assumption Cathedrals and the iconostasis of other churches located on the territory of the monasteries had thematic iconographic programs related to the dedication. These thematic programs do not include Deisis compositions and other images necessary for the year-round cycle of divine service. Instead, they are intended for a solemn service on the feast day or in memory of the saint to whom the additional altar is dedicated. Such "specialized" iconographic programs were parts of the iconographic program of the iconostasis of the central altar of the main church. In this carefully planned system of images of the iconostasis of the side altars and other monastic temples interacted in real space, expanding the sacred space of the main church beyond its material boundaries. Reconstruction of this spatial phenomenon explains the fundamental differences between the iconography of the iconostasis of additional altars from the iconographic program, which was to be in each iconostasis.

ICON OF THE APOCALYPSE FROM THE DORMITION CATHEDRAL OF THE KREMLIN. DATE AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The “Apocalypse” icon from the Domition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin has long been in the field of view of researchers, but still there is no common opinion about its dating, and therefore there is no context in which this monument would take its place. The icon has many inscriptions, all of which correspond to the text of the Revelation of John the Theologian. In the construction of the composition, the master of the “Apocalypse” could not rely on the Byzantine tradition of illustrating the Revelation, since it actually did not exist. So what could the author of the iconography of the Moscow Apocalypse have been inspired by? The process of penetration of Renaissance influences into Russian culture, which began in the reign of Ivan III, reached its highest point at the beginning of the XVI century. The coincidence of certain motives of the iconographic program of the «Apocalypse» with the motives of Botticelli’s illustrations for the Divine Comedy, as well as the role of the line in both works, indicate the penetration of Renaissance art influences into iconеpainting. The discovered parallels do not allow us to date the icon from the Domition Cathedral earlier than 1491-1500, the icon was most likely written after 1500, in the first decade of the XVI century. The icon became the “banner” of a new period of understanding of eschatological ideas.

The Composition “Archangel Michael Takes the Soul of the Rich” in the Iconographic Program of the Temples from Southwestern Bulgaria

The article examines the composition Archangel Michael takes the soul of the rich in fifteen Orthodox churches from the territory of Southwestern Bulgaria. The scenes are frescoed by representatives of various art centers. They date mainly from the middle and second half of the XIX century. The analysis of the iconographic program reveals the interest of local painters in this plot and its place in interior decoration.

Supplements to: Zhana Pencheva. The Composition “Archangel Michael Takes the Soul of the Rich” in the Iconographic Program of the Temples from Southwestern Bulgaria

Supplements to: Zhana Pencheva. The Composition “Archangel Michael Takes the Soul of the Rich” in the Iconographic Program of the Temples from Southwestern Bulgaria

Icon “The Mother of God Tikhvinskaya With the Tale of its Image” From the Сollection of the Historical Museum

The article is dedicated to the icon “The Mother of God Tikhvinskaya with the Tale of its Image” of the last quarter of the 17th century from the collection of the Historical Museum. It discusses its history, clarifies the literary source, as well as presents the analysis of the iconographic program, compositional features and artistic uniqueness. The work ended up in the museum collection due to global changes in post-revolutionary Russia, which triggered a large-scale movement of cultural properties. The icon originates from the Tikhvin Lands and belongs to the poorly studied culture of the Russian province. Recent research has unveiled a whole set of works linked to the icon painters of the Tikhvin Posad. The icon “The Mother of God Tikhvinskaya with the Tale of its Image” represents a vivid example of the art of Tikhvin masters of the second half of the 17th century.