The Oldest Surviving Icons From the 11^th and 12^th Century (2)

The revetments of the icon of Archangel Gabriel cover the frame and lower part of the icon to the height of the archangel’s knees. On the lower part there is stylized floral ornamentation in repousse. The enamel plaques upon which the name and possibly a short votive text – is written, are incorporated into this. As well as the stylized floral ornamentation there are rectangular plaques on the frames showing the archangels of the Lord, worked in relief. All the figures are frontally posed and dressed in different attires, five on the left and five on the right. Of a total of ten plaques nine can be seen today, of which one is considerably damage and others to a lesser extent. There were five medallions apiece on the upper and lower parts of the frame, of which only insignificant fragments remain, and those only on the upper part of the frame, while those on the lower part have been completely destroyed. The halo, which according to some old photographs was still on the icon only thirty or forty years ago, has also disappeared. To judge from the pictures, the halo was worked in a combined technique of repousse and enamel inlay. Describing the revetment of this icon, N.P. Kondakov mentions the fact that on the upper part of the frame the central medallion depicted the Hetimas and on either side there were cherubims and seraphims. The depiction of the Hetimas and a multitude of angels and archangels on icons was a customary practice in icons from Constantiople and Georgia in this and later periods. This is born out by the famous Constantinopolitian icon of the Deisis with Saints, from the Monastery of St. Catherine at Mt. Sinai dating from the late 11^th century, as well as the revetments of the Georgian icons from Mastia, Igoumenia and Svenetija, where archangels are assigned the role of guardians of mountain peaks.

The revetment of the Mother of God icon also covers the frame and the lower part of the icon up to the height of the cushion on the throne on which the Mother of God sits. Compared with the revetment of the previous icon, this one is much richer in the floral motifs used in its decoration. While the signature on the revetment of the Archangel Gabriel is written on enamel plaques, that on the “Mother of God” is in combined technique. A part of the signature - O KVPIOC META COV - is worked in repousse on the lower part of the icon, while the second part, MHP QV, is on plaques of blue and white enamel. The plaques with the votive text, where the name Leo is mentioned, are also in the same enamel.

The number and ordering of the rectangular plaques with relief of prophets and of the medallions on the upper and lower parts of the frame are exactly the same as those on the aforementioned icon. However, the original halo revetment was lost or removed due to considerable damage and replaced by a new one made to fit the icon in the second half of the 19^th century. Out of a total of ten plaques and medallions, only ten plaques can be seen today, of which four are badly damaged, and six medallions, half of which are damaged. 

Analysis of the revetment of these valuable icons provides much interesting information both about the style and technology in the work of the unknown master-goldsmiths and about the iconography, which most probably was customary for revetments of this period.

The work was entrusted to a workshop of high reputation where at least two skilful and talented goldsmiths worked. It is our view that one of them worked on the revetment of the lower part of the “Archangel Gabriel” and the floral ornaments incorporated between the rectangular plaques showing the archangels of the Lord, and well-known prophets and apostles on both icons. The other worked on the floral ornaments of the revetment of the lower part of the “Holy Mother of God” icon and on all the plaques and medallions with figures for both icons. The latter, most probably the master craftsman, was undoubtedly one of the most talented goldsmiths of his time. Taking into consideration the high level of workmanship as well as the thorough knowledge of iconography, the question arises of where these revetments were worked. Can they be considered to have been products of local goldsmiths’ workshops, or to have been commissioned and brought from some other centre of the arts and crafts?

In speaking of icons in a inventory of the church of the Mother of God Eleousa in the village of Veljusa in the 11^th and 12^th centuries, we have pointed to the existence of richly decorated icons with gold and silver revetments which, according to the description of the monks who made the inventory, had skillfully-made figures in the medallions on frames. All this implies that Macedonia too, during this period, there were already goldsmiths’ workshops and gold items of high quality. However, we do not know what the revetment of the Veljusa icons looked like, in which technique or under whose influence they were worked, or the perfection their arts accomplished.

Looking for analogies to the revetments of the Ohrid Annunciation, it should at once be stressed that we find great similarities to the revetments of a large number of Georgian icons dating from this period. The same superb knowledge of all the secrets of the goldsmiths’ trade and technique is evident in working of the metal as well as the same floral motifs, the same ordering shaping of rectangular plates and medallions with chiseled figures in high relief, and the same iconography. One has the impression that even the greatest experts could not distinguish them, if by any chance the were to find themselves among the icons of one of the famous churches of Upper Svenetija, Georgia. Perhaps no one could distinguish them if they were among the Costantinopolitian icons with revetments dating from this period. However, occurrence of these icon revetments in a church in Ohrid in the first decades of the 12^th century undoubtedly requires a deeper and more thorough analysis and interpretation.

The great similarity with the Constantinopolitian and Georgian icon revetments cannot be interpreted as an accident or merely in terms of influence of those workshops on local ones. We believe that the solution should be sought in their origins in Georgia or Constantinople. The investigation can be connected with the donor himself, Leo Mungo, Archbishop of Ohrid. We have already mentioned that this archbishop was a converted Jew who, until coming to the throne of the Ohrid archbishop, was a missionary among the gentiles like the commissioner and donor of the icons, the Ohrid archbishop Theodule. Both of them are referred to as “teachers of the gentiles”. Bearing in mind the well-known Romaoian policy of solving its problems through missionary activity, it cannot be ruled out that Leo Mungo acquired this reputation somewhere on the borders of Georgia. There he became acquainted with the high quality of the Georgian gold workshops, which at that time already had centuries-long experience. Continuing the old tradition of archbishops making donations to the Ohrid churches, as Archbishop Theodule himself had done of the icons which were placed in the “Upper”, “Great Church”, he commissioned expensive revetments. The commission may have been placed with one of the famous Georgian goldsmiths’ workshops which were well known to him in his home country, or with a Georgian workshop in Constantinople. This, in our opinion, could be one of the possible explanations of the great similarity between the revetments on the Ohrid icons constituting the Annunciation with those from Lagurka (the icons of St. Kvirik), from Tsageri (the Mother of God with Christ), from Chukuli (the Archangel Michael), from Ushgul (the Mother of God with Christ), Mestia (the Archangel Gabriel), and so on.

Lets us now return to a chronological account of the icons painted after the Annunciation.

For some of the Ohrid churches, perhaps the cathedral church of the Ohrid archepiscopy St. Sophia, towards the middle of the 11^th century, an unknown painter painted the throne icon dedicated to St. Basil the Great and St. Nicholas. Because the paint has flaked, the icon is much damaged and so it is very difficult to make a through stylistic analysis. Nevertheless, we can safely affirm that this icon contains the basic features of Ohrid painting of the 11^th century. There are traces which lead us to conclude that the icon once had a revetment as well.

In contrast to the middle of the 11^th century there is no evidence of icons having been painted in the last three decades of that century. In mentioning the inventory preserved in the church of the Mother of God Eleousa in Veljusa we have already pointed out that in 1080 the famous founder of the monastery and builder of its church, Manuel, commissioned the painting of several icons, among them the icon of the Mother of God Enthroned with a portrait of the founder in a position of adoration, and the icon dedicated to St. Nicholas, also with a portrait of the founder. However, none of these icon has come down to us, which could be accounted for by the new political times. 1072 saw an uprising against the Romaoian Empire led by George Vojteh. In 1081-1083 the Norman prince Robert Guiscard took Ohrid and Bitola, and in 1090-1092 Pechenegs and Kumani carried out pillaging raid, continuing to do so during the Crusader attacks towns and villages in Western Macedonia.

Nevertheless, icons were painted. They were increasingly numerous in the subsequent period both in newly built churches and in those that were refurbished. We have already mentioned that in Veljusa church (1164) there were 35 icons, of which a number were valuable, richly decorated in silver and gold. In the same year, 1164, while the Veljusa monks were drawing up their inventory, thanks to the involvement and funds of the lesser- known Romaoian prince Alexius, a son of feudal lord Constantine Angelus and Theodora, youngest daughter of the Romaoian emperor Alexius I Comnenus, skilled builders constructed a church dedicated to St. Panteleimon, protector of health on the mount Vodno near Skopje. In the same or the following year, an unknown group of painters began work in this relatively small church creating works of art which gave its mark not only to the Comnenus era but to Romaoian painting at large in this period.

It is as if the anonymous Nerezi masters, wishing to demonstrate that icon-painting was not unknown to them, painted – as we have already said – icons in fresco technique in the south chapel of the church and on the proskomodie walls which, so that there should be no misunderstanding, “hang suspended” from specially painted hooks. Keeping to the established tradition of extending the iconostasis to the column or wall areas on both sides of the marble iconostasis, The Nerezi painters used fresco technique to paint the great icon of the Mother of God with the infant Christ in her arms and the patron saint of the church the young Panteleimon, with a scalpel in his right hand and a large box of medicine in his left. However. because of the form of the architecture, it was often not possible to extend the iconostasis in this way. In such cases, the fresco icons are transferred to the north and south walls, as is the case in many churches – among them the church of St. George in the village of Kurbinovo, near Lake Prespa, painted in 1191. In order to distinguish such icons from the other figures painted on the walls, the painters gave special features, placing them in frames of stucco relief, as is the case with the fresco icons at Nerezi. In Kurbinovo, however, the frames have been executed in paint, with the same intention of specially emphasizing the icons.

Of the icons painted in tempera on wood which have come down to us and which, on the basis of the basis of the stylistic features, may be dated from the 12^th and the first decades of the 13^th centuries, we can only put forward the small kissing icon of the Communion of the Apostles. This icon, which was left in the attic of the portico of the church of the Mother of God Peribleptos in Ohrid, has miraculously escaped destruction. It is not known to which church it belonged. Stylistic analysis points to a painter who belonged undeniably among the ranks of talented artists who worked under the influence of the monumental style; however, new trends can be discerned in their work leading towards narrative painting, to which not only the line of the drawing but also the colours are subordinated. In terms of its iconography themes this small icon is among the rarest. If we take into account the number of icons painted in tempera in wood in Macedonia, we can safely affirm that among the numerous icons dating from the 11^th to the end of the 12^th centuries, this is the only such icon to have been found to date. Judged as a whole, this icon does not have the features of the refined court workshop of Constantinople. but can hardly be identified with the work of local painters. Perhaps the closest to the truth is the opinion that this icon is the work of the Thessaloniki painting workshops, which were working at full capacity towards the end of the 12^th and the beginning of the 13^th centuries.

The icon has been damaged, but the identification of the composition is not in question. In the middle ground, under the calotte of white marble ciborium supported on four marbles columns, Jesus Christ has been twice depicted, once in a strictly frontal position, similar to that in the composition of the Communion of the Apostles in the Church of St. Sophia in Ohrid, with the difference that instead of blessing with His right hand He is giving the eucharistic wafer to St. Peter, who is kissing His hand, while in the left He holds a quarter of leavened bread. Christ is depicted the second time with head slightly bowed towards the left, with a chalice in His hands which He is offering to St. Paul. The apostles are divided into two rather crowded groups, but every figure is depicted with volume and clearly defined in space, which obviously speaks of the solid schooling and the painterly skill of the unknown master. In contrast to the church of St. Sophia, where on the communion table there is a bowl and two large closed books, on the table in this icon two gold chalices have been painted and between them, in the centre, a whole loaf of unleavened bread with a large cross stamped on it.

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Icons of Macedonia

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