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St. Basil the Great and St. Nicholas of Myra |
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Mid - 11th century. 110 x 75 cm Tempera on board. It can be assumed that the icon was donated to the Cathedral Church of St. Sophia in Ohrid. It is unknown when it was transferred to the church of the Mother of God Peribleptos (St. Clement’s), Ohrid. Today - at the Icon Gallery, Ohrid. Condition: The icon was discovered 1959 in the attic of the portico of the church of the Mother of God Peribleptos (St. Clement’s), Ohrid, in a very bad condition. The board is eaten by worms and broken in several places. The ground together with the layer of paint has completely flaked off the lower part of the icon. The paint of the garments, hands and faces has flaked off in several places. The inscriptions in vermilion on a gold background are badly damage but remain legible. There had been a revetment on the 8,5 cm wide frame, but there is no trace of it. |
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Iconography: St. Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, is considered one of the greatest upholders of Orthodoxy. He is called a pillar of the church of God, and one of the greatest minds in theology. His numerous works of theology, apologetics, ascetical theology and canons were very influential. The cult of St. Basil the Great was particularly strong towards the middle of the 11th century, when there were debates about who among the three Holy Fathers (Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom) was the greatest. As a result of these debates three distinct movements arose: followers of Basil; followers of Gregory; and followers of John, each one of them declared one to be the greatest. Is it possible to assume that to the archiepiscopal followers was the Archiepiscope Leo of Ohrid, educated Constantinopole chartophylax and donor to the Cathedral Church of St Sophia in Ohrid? One of the oldest compositions in Byzantine frescoes –painting “The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great” dedicated to St. Basil the Great was painted in this church. With the purpose to reconcile and unite the three movements a compromise was reached during the reign of Alexius I Comnenus and a joint festival of the three arch-priests was established which is celebrated on the 30th January, although each of the fathers has his own day of celebration in the calendar. The cult of St. Nicholas of Myra significantly grew towards the middle of the 11th century. As a result of the efforts of Patriarch Nicholas Grammaticus, in 1087 the relics of the saint were transferred from Myra in Lycia to Bari in Italy. The appearance of the saints Basil the Great and Nicholas of Myra on one icon, from the first half of the 11th century, which with a great deal of certainty can be considered that came from a Constantinopolitian workshop, shows that its iconography was the result of current movements which were stirring the world of Orthodoxy. Origin: Donated to a unknown church of Ohrid, possibly St. Sophia. Discovered in the Church of the Mother of God Peribleptos (St. Clement’s), Ohrid. Conservation: Conservation and partial restoration made in the IPCM in Skopje.
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Icons of Macedonia |
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