Philip II Holbein – złotnik i agent artystyczny Zygmunta III w świetle dokumentów z Národní archiv w Pradze.

Author(s): Jacek Żukowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 5/2018

In 1607, on pretext of unpaid customs duty, on the border with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of imperial officials confiscated silver tableware of the Polish royal court, entrusted to the care of goldsmith Philipp II Holbein (1553–1632). Commissioned by Queen Constance, the artist was to rework the ceremonial vessels, most of which had formerly belonged to Anna Habsburg (d. 1598), and gifts from representatives of Polish nobility. The silverware were to be “refined or reworked in a Nuremberg or Augsburg fashion”. The set was made up of e.g. 72 silver large bowls bearing the coat of arms of Anna Habsburg, 38 tankards, 5 sets of bowls with pitchers, 8 silver flasks, 2 bigger flasks on chains, 4 gilt serving plates, a silver ewer (partially gilt), a cupboard plate, and a water kettle. The collection moreover included late Mannerist tableware, such as three decorative galleys, a figural group with virgins and the Cupid, a lamp with the motif of a deer, and a gilt rooster. A way out of the problem was found only in the summer of 1609, and most of the confiscated artefacts reached their destination. The dispute between the emperor and the king, taking place in the period 1607–1609, was no doubt indirectly triggered by the antagonisms between increasingly sick Rudolf II and his brother Matthias Habsburg. As early as 1605, as S.R.M. jubilerus, Holbein was present in Krakow, where together with his wife he ran “open shops with silverware”. In time, he would sign documents as “Philipp Holbein, Their Royal Highnesses in Poland and Sweden court servant and agent in Augsburg”. He was an intermediary e.g. during Sigmund III’s acquisition of jeweller’s items. It was most likely thanks to the recommendation by the Polish king that the goldsmith started to render his services to Emperor Rudolf II and then of Matthias. Published original records from the Národní archiv in Prague are but significant excerpts concerning the dispute about the royal silverware. The entire file includes at least 53 documents of letters of Sigmund and Constance of Austria (to Maria Anna of Bavaria, the emperor, archdukes Ferdinand, Matthias and Leopold of Tirol, and to councillors, judges and judicial associates of the Bohemian Customs Chamber), the correspondence and patents of Holbein and court envoys, finally letters by Rudolf II and copies of his officials’ files.

Памћење спорних легата прошлости или кад култура сећања устукне пред културом поништавања

Author(s): Milica Božić Marojević / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 4/2022

Everyday life is filled with numerous images of what has passed. All of them, although on different bases, leave a mark in time and thus become legacies of the past. Although we usually understand and accept this inherited corpus without a problem, sometimes we face certain inconveniences. For example, we would rather forget the heritage that remind us of colonialism and slavery, civil conflicts, wars, nuclear catastrophes. This paper searches for answers as to why certain contents from the past survive and others disappear, as well as when and why we decide to change their interpretation. Namely, the development of information technologies and new models of communication, in addition to many advantages, has contributed to the development of a perhaps not new, but certainly more striking culture of thinking. Based on condemnation, denial, harsh criticism without the possibility of adequate defence, the cancel culture is present in almost all spheres of everyday life. “Concern” for the culture of memory thus has reached a new level. Although the ban on specific forms of artistic expression has a long history, today we are witnessing the formation of movements that fight by all means for various types of censorship, and interestingly, they are no longer instructed by governing structures, but come from culture, science, and art. Justifying these actions with pedagogical reasons, correcting injustices, and caring for the culture of remembrance, unpleasant and politically incorrect contents are avoided, exhibitions are cancelled, monuments are occupied, modified, destroyed. The contribution of once famous artists and scientists is being revised and challenged. This raises a number of questions. What ideas inspire such iconoclastic actions? Who are the actors involved in these practices? When diversity became a problem, where did the dialogue go? What are the spatial, social and political implications of these transformations? In the circumstances of such rapid social changes and (re)interpretation, it is increasingly difficult to remain calm and objective even in science. The general chase, and sometimes the mass hysteria, help us to easily slip into revisionism. Instead of focusing on the possibilities that different values of the legacies of the past open to us, it seems that we are moving towards the fact that every heritage, sooner or later, will be disputable.

Fish Symbol and Maritime Motifs on Late Antique Lamps from Central Balkans

Author(s): Danijela Tešić-Radovanović / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2022

Elements of Christian visual culture appeared in various media in monumental and applied art during the late antique period, from painted decoration in the catacombs, through funerary monuments, to utilitarian objects such as jewellery and lamps. The paper analyses the symbolic meaning of fish and maritime motifs in the context of the late antique visual culture of the Mediterranean and their meaning within the Interpretatio Christiana, as well as the appearance of these motifs on late antique lamps. Ten lamps with maritime motifs or in the form of fish or dolphins are known from the territory of the Central Balkans. Elements of decoration are considered in relation to analogies, textual references, and the context of the finds.

Циклус Светог Димитрија у Пећкој патријаршији - III -

Author(s): Sanja Pajić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 4/2022

The painted biography of the patron saint of the church of St. Demetrius in the complex of the Patriarchate of Peć is preserved in the middle zone of the nave. Following the northern wall, with episodes inspired by the texts of the Passion of Saint Demetrius, the cycle continues on the south wall, where two of the former four representations remain, namely: The Dormition of Demetrius and Saint Demetrius Saves Thessaloniki from the Enemy. Both scenes have been partially damaged, with the lower parts painted over during the restoration in the second decade of the 17th century. The Dormition of Saint Demetrius. The Dormition of Saint Demetrius is painted in the southeast corner of the nave. The beginning of the legend is legible. Two more compositions with the same iconography have been preserved. One is a miniature in the Menologion in Oxford (MS. Gr. th. f. 1, fol. 55) (c. 1330–35), and the other is a severely damaged fresco in King Marko’s Monastery (1376/77, the Republic of North Macedonia). The iconographic scheme of the service over the body of the deceased is well known in medieval art. Since the Passio texts describe Demetrius’ martyrdom, scholars have questioned the source and meaning of the scene. At first, they thought that it illustrated Bishop Eusebius praying before the relics of St. Demetriusto save Thessaloniki from the Enemy, according to the description from the 14th homily of the First Book of Miracula. Later, the assumption was made, accepted to this day, that it was the death/entombment of the saint. The textual prototype was found in the sticheron of the patriarch Germanus on the celebration day of Saint Demetrius, from where this theme entered the iconography. Recently, the scene was interpreted as a liturgical ceremony over the saint’s tomb in the Thessaloniki church.Knowing the circumstances in which it was created could contribute to a better understanding of the topic. The representation of the dead Demetrius is associated with the reform of the cult after the appearance of the myron, at the beginning of the 11th century at the latest. This is evidenced by reliquaries and enkolpia for myron and/or blood of the saint (11th/12th–14th centuries), which copy the appearance of a myron-gushing tomb. They are characterized by a double lid with superimposed figures of Saint Demetrius. On the outer cover Demetrius is in the orante pose –which has been interpreted as a sarcophagus, while the inside shows a dead saint – that is, a representation ofthe saint’s myron-exuding body relic. The myron-gushing tomb received its equivalent in painting, as well, sublimated through the representation of the tomb with the reclining figure of Demetrius in the orante pose. Two paintings are known, both of which are sometimes erroneously cited among scholarsand preserved in Serbian art as the Entombment of Saint Demetrius (in the southern chapel of the Church of Our Lady of Ljeviš, 1309–13, in Kosovo and Metohija, and, as part of the scene The vision of angels of an illustrious and Demetrius’ refusal to abandon Thessaloniki, 1335–48 in Dečani, Kosovo and Metohija). Along with this theme, the iconography of the service over Demetrius’ relics was also formed. At this time, a legend appeared that, by order of Emperor Maximian, Demetrius’ body was thrown into a well under the Thessaloniki Basilica, connected to the crypt or “lower church”. Perhaps the changed cult brought more novelties, which could have influenced the appearance of new iconography, yet this question still remains open to debate. The service over the saint’s body is officiated by archbishops surrounded by singers, led by a choirmaster and a young kanonarchos, all distinguished by headpieces known as skaranikon. The rest of the entourage were identified as believers or Christians who buried the saint, that is, young noblemen, but in fact they were members of minor order. The building in the background is most often identified as the famous ciborium from the Thessaloniki Basilica, which was a cult centre during the early Christian period. Although the fresco in Peć is unique compared to the other preserved representations, in which the tomb is shown with an open ciborium-baldachin, they are also considered to convey a realistic image of a contemporary tomb. This testifies to the impossibility of reaching a reliable conclusion about the closeness of the painted and real construction, where at the time of the creation of the fresco, the centre of the cult was no longer a ciborium, but a myron-gushing tomb. Saint Demetrius Saves Thessaloniki from the Enemy. The last preserved fresco, from whose inscription the name of Demetrius can be read, illustrates the miracle of the defense of Thessaloniki against the enemy. The event is described in the 14th homily of the First Book of Miracula. The majority of researchers have accepted the opinion that homilies 13–15 describe the attack of the army of Avars and Slavs on Thessaloniki that took place in 586, although a similar event in 597 cannot be ruled out. The iconographic scheme of the fresco in Peć comes right after the text. In the cycles of the Middle Ages, only two more compositions with Demetrius saving Thessaloniki from the enemy have been preserved. In terms of concept, and despite the differences in the processing of details, the fresco in Peć is close to the depiction in Dečani (1335–48). In previous research, the inscription on the fresco in Dečani attracted more attention than the iconography, with the explanation that it was about saving Thessaloniki from the Kumans. This gave scholars a reason for different interpretations of the meaning of the illustration, although it is most likely that it is the very event mentioned in the inscription, for the artistic articulation of which the iconography created according to a much older source was used. The composition on the reliquary in Vatoped, with the enemy’s cavalry under the city walls behind which the saint is using the spear to defeat the barbarian, will not be repeated. Searching for the source is made difficult by the fact that no text was written, hence the opinions of scholars about the meaning of the scene are dissonant, although most believe that it is about the defense of Thessaloniki against the siege of the Avars and the Slavs. The walls within which the sacred building is located represent a long-established ideogram for the city, identified as the place of events – Thessaloniki with the Basilica of Saint Demetrius. The hagiography of Saint Demetrius was painted in the nave of the church of the same name in the Patriarchate of Peć, following the practice that prevailed in the 14th century. So far, it has not been a specific research topic, nor has it been discussed in the context of known cycles. About 13 artistic biographies of saints created at the end of the 13th and in the 14th century in the Byzantine, Serbian and Bulgarian art, along with individual representations of certain themes, have been published by scholars, to varying degrees. Despite the fact that the cycles are mostly incompletely preserved, as well as that part of the frescoes in Peć was partially or completely restored in the second decade of the 17th century, which raises the question of the original iconography, certain conclusions can be drawn about its concept and the iconography of individual scenes. Six out of the former eight scenes remain, according to which the Peć cycle belongs to the longer redaction. Being a complex ensemble, it consists of compositions based on the life of the saint, concentrated on the north wall of the nave of the church, and scenes of miracles on the opposite wall, of which only one remains, along with a composition of a special theme with the representation of the Dormition of St. Demetrius. Hagiographic scenes illustrate the most significant events from the texts of the Passion representing an indispensable part of the cycle. Scenes of miracles were painted less often, so the miraculous saving of Thessaloniki from the enemy is preserved in three cycles only. The theme of help in a specific situation has most likely surpassed its source over time, becoming an allusion to the enemies of Christians, and the proof of the miraculous protection of Demetrius as the holy warrior, not only when it comes to Thessaloniki, but war in general. Hence it is not surprising that it was included in the cycle, for now it can be said with confidence, in the 14th century. Since the legend has not been preserved, the question remains whether there was a deeper motive for illustrating this event in the church in Peć. The scene with the representation of the Dormition of St. Demetrius, and the rarely shown one, known from three medieval cycles, remain of unclear origin, but its source should probably be sought in cult practice of the 14th century. This episode, together with the Passion of St. Demetrius, is prominently placed next to the altar partition, which is why the cycle began in the northwest corner of the nave. The general language of Byzantine iconography was used to shape the compositions. Certain frescoes from Peć show similarities with preserved illustrations of the same outline, but they are mostly unique. Iconographically, St. Demetrius blessing St. Nestor and St. Nestor killing Lyus stand out, bearing the caveat in mind that this is a composition that undoubtedly underwent some changes during the copying process. As a whole, the illustrations from Peć represent a unique accomplishment, the closest analogies of which can be found on the monuments of the 14th century created in the Serbian art. Probably at this time there were certain changes in the cycle, primarily following the cult and way of honouring saints, with a greater tendency towards narration as a general trend in the art of this time. Finally, it is necessary to refer to two more cycles. The first one, in poor condition, was created in the church of Saint Demetrius in the village of Leivadi in Crete (1315/16), whose painting is strongly influenced by Western art. The iconography of the scene of the Passion of Saint Demetrius, with the saint with his back turned and falling to his knees receiving a spear blow from a soldier in Western armor, bears no resemblance to the Byzantine tradition. The second cycle was recently discovered in the chapel of the Dodorka monastery in Georgia’s Davitgareji Desert (late 12th–early 13th century). Some of the compositions possess the iconography not found anywhere (St. Demetrius drops an honorary regalia before Emperor Maximian and the Martyrdom of St. Demetrius, with the dismembered body of the saint, while his chlamys is in the foreground), i.e., it shows details that do not appear or are rare in Byzantine painting (Saint Demetrius blessing Saint Nestor – both of them standing, and Nestor is unarmed, and Saint Nestor kills Lyus – with a young Christian fighter plunging a spear into the body of a fallen gladiator, in the arena without manganese and without the figure of the emperor in the lodge). The Dodorka cycle has no parallels in Georgian and Byzantine art. Significant iconographic peculiarities, and the fact that the appearance of the frescoes was dictated by a local source (Georgian version of the Passion from the 11th century) and specific needs (the emphasis on the chlamys as a relic of Demetrius), complicate the questions of the model for its iconography and the connection with Byzantine art, but even more so – issues of time and place of origin of the cycle of St. Demetrius.

Манастир Милешева: анализа и уклапање фрагмената фресака и израда копија спојених уломака

Author(s): Bojan Popović,Dejan A. Milosavljević,Milica D. Marić Stojanović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 4/2022

In the course of two successive projects, the first in 2005 and the second in 2020, work on the fragments of frescoes in Mileševa resulted in the integration of five ensembles that could be reconstructed into the basic outline. In addition to this, certain ensembles were integrated that we cannot present in the same way either because we lack the knowledge about the complete appearance or because it is impossible to accurately determine the edge of the scene. As for individual figures, very likely from the first zone, a face from the 13th century was partly integrated and the figure of a monk from the 16th century. Of the inscriptions, two were partly established, the first which probably indicated the name Stefan, from the 16th century, and the other inscription in the circular field beside the Mother of God, containing the phrase ‘of God’ (Serb. Б(о)жиа), from the 16th or the 17th century. A right hand was partly integrated from the ensemble of a colossal figure, belonging to which were two fragments of an eye. We believe that this was a bust of Christ that was at the top of the eastern wall of the narthex. Originating perhaps from the same ensemble is an ensemble of five integrated fragments, as well as two more smaller integrated ensembles, which could represent the lower part of Christ’s body, in the scene of the Crucifixion. The red mineral mercury (cinnabarite) was used in addition to the earth pigments in the artist’s palette, as well as ultramarine, lapis lazuli. The use of 24-karat gold leaf was confirmed on the fragment of a nimbus. Since pure gold was used only on the nimbuses in the narthex, and not gilded silver, clearly, this fragment was from the narthex, as we had assumed.

Myśliwy i pan natury. Jeszcze raz o przedstawieniach zwierząt na nagrobku króla Władysława II Jagiełły

Author(s): Marek Walczak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2022

This article is an attempt to take a new look at the depictions of animals on the tomb-chest of the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław II Jagiełło; which was executed before 1431 by a workshop of undetermined provenance. On the basis of written sources and comparative material; it is argued that the uniform iconographic programme; which consists of depictions of a dragon under the king's feet; two lions under the monarch's head; and hounds and falcons on the tomb-chest; refers to the politically important concept of the ruler’s dominion over the natural world.

Ryt z zamku krzyżackiego w Toruniu. Przyczynek do badań nad średniowiecznymi projektami elementów architektury na obszarze panństwa zakonu krzyżackiego w Prusach

Author(s): Dominika Szczupak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2022

In the light of analyses of the grooves that are now legible and photographs taken a few years ago, the architectural graffiti from the Teutonic Knights’ castle in Toruń can be read as a representation of a tracery. On the basis of earlier findings regarding the construction phases of the Toruń castle, its topography and spatial layout, an attempt was made to establish the chronology of the architectural graffiti and the function of the building in which it was located. The discovery of relics of architectural details within the upper castle and the finding of some parallels with the church of St James in the New Town of Toruń were undoubtedly crucial in explaining the reasons why the tracery had been sketched on the wall.

Znaczenia scen tańca na marginesach iluminowanych kodeksów europejskich od XIII do XV wieku

Author(s): Zofia Załęska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2022

This article focuses on dance scenes present in the margins of medieval religious manuscripts (such as a psalter, a book of hours and a breviary) produced in the Latin Middle Ages between the mid-13th and the 15th century. The text discusses selected examples of illuminations, which are analysed with regard to the various semantic contexts of dance (among others, the division of dance into ‘sinful’ and ‘heavenly’ as derived from the biblical tradition). The author focuses on the function of the marginalia and their relationship to the text. She argues that the scenes are parallel to the text and constitute a significant part of the narrative. Imbued with didactic and moralistic values, they offer the reader either an example to follow or a warning. Illuminations enrich the semantic contexts of the manuscript and suggest the ways of reading the text.

Skandale Angeliki

Author(s): Piotr Oczko / Language(s): Polish Issue: 809/2022

Szkicownik Gesiny

Author(s): Piotr Oczko / Language(s): Polish Issue: 811/2022

Gwiazda Judyty

Author(s): Piotr Oczko / Language(s): Polish Issue: 813/2023

Intersubjectivity and Memory. The Philosophy of Liberation in the Postcolonial / Decolonial / Neocolonial Equation

Author(s): Raluca Schipor-Baban / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2023

The present work refers to the problem of identity, cultural memory and the recurrence of these aspects in contemporary art, also aiming at the implications of the postcolonial issue. The presentation of some cultural personalities whose studies had a decisive effect on the general perception of the existence, inevitable consequences and reconfiguration, in various forms and manifestations, of the segregationist phenomenon, aims to expose a scientific perspective with a defining role in highlighting, awareness and assuming fundamental aspects of the subject in contemporaneity. The identification of cultural barriers generated by the certainty of hybridity, as an inherent consequence of the resistance to colonial influences, but also of the assimilation process that occurred over time, as coextensive factors of postcolonialism, constitute aspects of the discourse of emancipation of national identity that interfere with imperial standardization.

Widzenie ześrodkowane, ogląd, epopteia O twórczości naukowej Wiesława Juszczaka.

Author(s): Ryszard Kasperowicz / Language(s): Polish Issue: 4/2022

The scholarly output of Wies3aw Juszczak (1932–2021) is very diverse with regard to both the range of topics and the conceptual approaches to particular issues; yet it is possible to discern in it certain permanent themes, a desire to revisit fundamental problems, such as the role of the imagi- nation in historical cognition and artistic creativity, the origins of art and of its cognitive pursuits, or the significance of the relationship between the word and the image (in ecphrasis, in art criti- cism). Those issues he approached sometimes in articles of a methodological nature, sometimes in incomparable interpretations of particular artworks and artists, and sometimes – with time, incre- asingly frequently – in essayistic texts that had the quality of philosophical deliberations. Wies3aw Juszczak’s scholarly achievements allow us to see him as a historian and at the same time a philo- sopher of art, endowed with an originality of thought and a masterful form of its expression, an exceptional authority on the art of European Romanticism and Symbolism, a tireless hunter for the beginnings of artistic creation in the culture of archaic Greece, and a humanist worthy of this name in the highest degree.

Abakanowicz przyszpilona do stereotypu

Author(s): Aleksandra Grzemska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 818-819/2023

Презентација на жените од Македонија во делата на странските сликари

Author(s): Nada Peševa / Language(s): Macedonian Issue: 84/2023

The subject of this research is the representation of women from Macedonia in the works of art made by the foreign painters, illustrators, graphic artists, sculptors and art photographers who visited Macedonia and created works inspired by the land, culture, tradition, nature and historical events in the period between 1850 and 1950, with depictions of rural scenes with authentic occupations, landscapes and war scenes, but also a depiction of urban environments. The analysis of works of art goes in the direction of sublimating the way of depicting women from Macedonia from the aspect of how they were perceived by the author painters, and what can be resulted as a conclusion regarding the standard of living of the woman and her status in the social occasions of the time. The analysis is based on several bases: geographical scope, ethnicity of the people depicted in the images, origin and affiliation of the authors by country, number of male and female authors by country, chronological division of the works, method of depiction of woman in action, and frequency of representing of the woman, regarding other themes.

Konserwacja i restauracja skrzyni wiannej – trówły z 1830 roku ze zbiorów Muzeum „Górnośląski Park Etnograficzny w Chorzowie”

Author(s): Sylwia Kudła-Herner / Language(s): Polish Issue: 10/2022

The painted dowry chest (trówła) originates from the village of Bren¬na-Leśnica, and currently belongs to the collection of the Museum “Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park Chorzów”. The article describes the sub¬ject of preservation and restoration of the painted chest and also attempts to establish the history and origin of this piece of furniture. Apart from the descriptions of preservation works, the technique and technology of painting chest are presented.

Konserwacja skrzyni wiannej ze zbiorów Muzeum „Górnośląski Park Etnograficzny w Chorzowie”

Author(s): Małgorzata Książek / Language(s): Polish Issue: 10/2022

The article presents the conservation process of a dowry chest from the collection of the Museum ”Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in Chorzów”. The furniture underwent a comprehensive conservation, both woodwork and painting. Conservation of woodwork included the elimination of threats posed by previous conservation works, improvement of its techni¬cal condition and stabilization. As part of the aesthetic conservation, the repainting that the box has undergone over the years was removed and its original appearance was restored.

Iconography of the Old Testament Prophets and the Virgin Kyriotissa on the East Wall of the Gračanica Exonarthex

Author(s): Aleksandra R. Dimitrijević,Jelena Ratković Stevović / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2023

The exonarthex of Gračanica has a rich and complex painted programme, which is a testimony to the medieval kingdom of Serbia ruled by the Nemanjić dynasty, after the arrival of the Ottomans in the Serbian regions. This painted programme has been preserved to a certain extent to this day, although the traces of the ravages of time are clearly visible; it is still possible to read and reconstruct the entire thematic programme, as well as to recognise the iconographic and stylistic features of this part of the church. The exonarthex was painted out several times, as it was repeatedly damaged during the turbulent and destructive centuries (14th, 15th, 16th). It was probably fresco painted after its construction (probably around 1330), but there are no physical remains or written sources testifying to this, while today two layers of fresco paintings are clearly visible in the Gračanica exonarthex. The iconography and themes of the younger layer of fresco paintings from 1570 form a more complex and intricate unity in relation to the one that was there originally. The new frescoes have a clear theological background, devotion to the Virgin Mary, who was also the patron of the Gračanica church. The depiction of the cycle of the Virgin celebrates the role of the Virgin in the Incarnation, foretold in prophetic visions. Almost the entire painted programme around the east portal of the Gračanica exonarthex is dedicated to the Mother of God; additionally, some related depictions are shown there, like the Mother of God on the throne with Christ Emmanuel on her lap surrounded by archangels in the lunette above the entrance. The entire composition was introduced with the theme “From above the prophets have prophesied thee”, as shown by the painted busts of six prophets (Isaiah, Solomon, David, Moses, Aaron and Jeremiah) entwined by a decorative vine on the inside of the arch, at the top of which is a waist-high image of Christ giving blessings with both hands. The main aim of this paper is to point out the importance of the restoration and painting of Serbian monasteries during the Ottoman rule since these topics are insufficiently represented in Serbian art history. The paper provides an iconographic analysis of the scenes dedicated to the celebration of the Virgin in the Gračanica exonartex, as well as their theological background.

Georgi Mitrofanović’s Fresco Composition with Representations of Medieval Rulers in the Southern Apse of the Hilandar Refectory

Author(s): Nikolaos L. Dionysopoulos,Vesna D. Milanović / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2023

The composition with representations of medieval rulers is a unique structure within the fresco-ensemble of the Hilandar refectory, which was signed by the painter Georgije Mitrofanović in 1621/1622, replacing the previous, three centuries older works. It depicts Serbian King Milutin and the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos in a paraphrased version of the solution found in medieval portraits within the narthex of the Catholicon of the Monastery. With some modifications, it was incorporated into a new programmatic context, together with figures of Saint Simon the Monk (most likely representing the former King Uroš I) and Saint Stefan Dečanski. The formation of the latter pair is based on iconographic patterns that combine the initial theme of the pious rulers’ patronage with motifs of martyrdom and unwavering faith. The new visual ensemble, featuring figures of pious and orthodox rulers from the medieval past, is completed by the insertion of the symbol of the cross between them and by placing all the figures under the protection and blessing of Christ, the Angel of Great Counsel. Why did the creator of this pictorial program connect the bygone rulers, patrons of the monastery, with a distinctive, non-traditional representation of Christ? How does the passage of time since the medieval period affect the reception of this iconographic group? What does the medallion with the cross and Christogram signify in the given arrangement? These and similar questions, mostly overlooked in previous discussions focused on the restoration aspect of Mitrofanović’s work, stem from the endeavour to understand what was achieved through the characteristics and circumstances of the era in which the refectory was repainted, particularly in the context of the challenges faced by the Orthodox community within the then Ottoman state.

Mediterranean Resonances in Tolkien’s Middle-earth

Author(s): Mina D. Lukić / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2023

The paper examines the influences of Mediterranean heritage on the shaping of the culture of Gondor and more specifically on the appearance of its capital, Minas Tirith, as described by J. R. R. Tolkien, and portrayed in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings. By tracing the similarities between Númenor and Gondor and the ancient and mediaeval civilisations they resemble, and by analysing the sources from the history of art which inspired the designs of Minas Tirith’s architecture, the paper aims to demonstrate the interplay and transfer of meanings and cultural connotations from real to fictional places and cultures.