Thematic Session of Free Communications:

SERBIAN MEDIEVAL ART

Chairs: Ida Sinkevi, Ioannis Sisiou

Jelena Jovanovi,
Founded, Re-Founded, Reendowed. Construction and Continuity
in the Late XII Century Architectural Patronage in Serbia
Velimir Matanovi,
Origin of Architectural Dcor from the Cathedral Monastery of Studenica
Oliver M. Tomi,
About the Dating of Sopoani, Its Painters and Purpose
Biljana Cincar Kosti,
Clothing and Textile during the Serbian Queen Helena the Great (1250-1314)
Aleksandra Davidov Temerinski,
Jacobs Wrestling with the Angel in Virgin Ljevika Church
Vronique Deur-Petiteau,
Images, spatialit et crmoniel dans le narthex des glises serbes
Mirjana Gligorijevi Maksimovi,
Classical Elements in the Paintings at Saint Niketas near Skopje
Anelija Kozakijevi,
Representations of the Table of Wisdom in Serbian Churches of the Fourteenth Century
Branka Gugolj,
The Monastery Rudenica Church and Its Place in the Morava Serbia Architecture
Radmilo Petrovi,
Serbian Art in the XVI Century

Jelena Jovanovi

Founded, Re-Founded, Reendowed.

Construction and Continuity in the Late XII Century
Architectural Patronage in Serbia
The paper examines the practice of re-foundation and re-endowment of older structures and
of foundation of new religious edifices in Serbia at the time of Stefan Nemanja.
The aim of the presentation is not only to cast light on the dynamics, the motives and the context
of the late XII century religious patronage but also to diachronically deal with the phenomenon of
despoliation, imitation, surpassing and continuity, wide-spread in the medieval architectural practice.
The XII century architectural commission in Serbia is briefly evidences by encomiastic written
sources and is in few occasions filled with historical and archaeological records. What the sources
do not say, but what is nevertheless apparent through remaining materials and artifacts, postulates
a multiplicity of interrelated motives behind a florid building activity undertaken by both Stefan
Nemanja and the members of his family. The religious edifices still in place will be considered and
examined by their distinctive hallmarks, function and location.
Convenience and availability seems to be the factors that lie behind the building practice
of Serbian patrons but the choice of specific materials and shapes can entail a more meaningful
purpose. The paper also aims to question the origins of architectural elements that shaped the visual
identity of the above mentioned churches, with the attempt to trace the routes of their transmission
within the range of more or less wide geographical area and to reframe their significance from the
perspective of terms of old and new.

Velimir Matanovi

Origin of Architectural Dcor from the Cathedral Monastery of Studenica

In the first part of the paper the focus is on the entire previous studies, analysis of the development
of Romanesque sculpture during the Middle Ages, the definition of Romanesque sculptural forms
and determination of the origin of iconographic motifs. The second part establishes the connection
between certain iconographic details on the double bronze doors in Gniezno and sculptural plastic
in the monastery Studenica.
Determination and pointing to influences other than Italian, such as the Roman influence, to
the overall development of Serbian origin and Romanesque art in science so far have not been done
thoroughly. Former synthetic representations sought genesis of Romans influence mainly in Italian
and Dalmatian art centers.
In all the monuments of Romanesque architecture and sculpture in Serbia, elements and
stylistic characteristics of Italian origin are mostly identified. In this way, the Italian art is one of the
most influential factors for the formation and shaping of Romanesque art in Serbia. The monuments
in which there have been found elements of Italian origin are defined as Italianization movement
of Romanesque art in Serbia. Direct and strong artistic influences of Italy in those regions that
are with this country historically and culturally linked - Istria and Dalmatia. In other parts Italian
influences had an indirect character.
We do not possess information that testified on direct contacts which connect Serbia with the
Italian medieval art. There are no historical sources that speak of the stay of Italian artists in Serbia.
New scientific research has enabled the recognition of new geographical, influential regions
of significant architectural forms in Serbia. These are the architecture and sculptural decoration
that developed on the basis of inherited medieval architecture and the developed principles of
Romanesque architecture.
The rationale of applying the results of research is based on improving the quality of analysis of
the impact of general European-Roman style on the development of Serbian medieval architecture
and art in general.
The research results can be the basis for exploring the genetic flows of creative nature,
architecture and sculpture of medieval Serbia. This allows the identification of the logical lines of
continuity and influence in the analysis of Serbian origin of Romanesque art. Consideration of the
broader area of influence, which directly or indirectly is in constant contact with the development
of medieval Romanesque architecture in Serbia, provides a better understanding of the specific
development of original artistic creativity. The study of this development is of particular importance
for the overall trends and historical overview of the Serbian medieval architecture. This, along with
scientific interest, achieved significant practical application of research results.
Typological classification of Romanesque sculpture in medieval Serbia and specificities
compared to other potential impacts are established, and the value of the overall contribution of
foreign influence on the Serbian Romanesque art is determined.
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Oliver M. Tomi

About the Dating of Sopoani, Its Painters and Purpose

For more than half a century the dating in 1263-1268 of the wall paintings in the nave and the
narthex of the church of Holy Trinity in Sopoani monastery has been widely accepted, with the
exception of several scholars, who chose a slightly later period between 1272 and 1276. The results of
our investigation led to the conclusion that the latter (and later) date was more accurate, and allowed
us to precise the time of the execution of those frescoes in 1275-1277. Such a conclusion was based
on a careful examination of the historical portraits, both royal and ecclesiastical, in the nave and in
the narthex. Among the criteria which encouraged us to correct the preivous and usual dating one
should mention the appearance of the archbishop Sava II as a member of the Officiating Bishops
in the main apse, where he couldnt have been included as an actual prelate and a living person.
Therefore, terminus ante quem non was pushed further up to 1272. Moreover, the investigation of
the donors representation was concentrated on the queston: why and when had it been repainted
(without obvious reason)? This study analyzes several possibilities of the orignial content, among
which the most likely lead to the year 1277 for this very scene, as well as 1275 and 1276 for the nave
and the narthex, respectively. It also demonstrates that the stature of the young princes Dragutin
and Milutin as a criterion for establishing their actual age is unreliable, and therefore worthless for
the dating of the wall paintings in Sopoani.
The new dating of the frescoes allowed us to reconsider the relations of Sopoani with the
contemporary monuments in Serbia, namely their stylistical and iconographical similarities. With
the newly proposed years of 1275-1276 for Sopoani, the chronological gap between the wall
paintings in several churches is drasticaly dimninished or even disappears altogether. That leads
to the conclusion that Sopoani, Gradac, Saint Peter in Bogdai and the narthex in Moraa were
all decorated in continuity, in only three years. Based on that, it is natural to assume that the same
workshop of painters executed the frescoes in all of them, although with some alterations during
those several seasons. Obviously, the workshop came from Constantinople, as had been previously
supposed and unanimously accepted.
Analyzing both the programme and the iconography of the frescoes in Sopoani, especially
in its narthex, former scholars observed that they showed all the features of a bishopric church. But
the lack of any historical evidence supporting this hypothesis, thwarted any further investigation.
However, the new dating in 1275-76, combined with historical events of those years (Union of
Lyons in 1274), gives the old assumption a new life. It seems that the great crisis and tension caused
by the Union set the mind of king Uro, who then decided to decorate such a temple in which the
ideas of truly orthodox church and a holy and faithful lineage should have clearly expressed itself.
For those reasons Sopoani were very likely meant to become the new center of the Serbian church
and the see for its archbishop Joanikije, probably the ideator of the programme of its decoration.
But that project was never realized, because king Uro was owerthrown by his son and his friend
Joanikije has retired as soon as the frescoes were finished.

Biljana Cincar Kosti

Clothing and Textile during the Serbian Queen Helena the Great (1250-1314)
The appearance of medieval rulers is apparent on frescos. Biographical texts are valuable sources,
as the abstracts of writings, kept in the archives of our neighboring states. Up to the middle of the 13th
century, in accordance with the status in the Byzantine Empire, Serbian rulers wore a combination of
the Byzantine imperial and ruler vestments. From the second half of the 13th century Serbian rulers
were dressed in vestments according to the Byzantine model. At the times of Helen of Anjou, trade
of the material (fabric, ako je u pitanju tkanina) took place in the East, and, even more, in the West,
particularly through coastal cities. Handmade pieces of garment, as well as the luxury fabrics, were
imported in her country. There was an artistic workshop at her court, and later also a school for girls,
where they were able to learn how to sew and embroider, among other things.

Aleksandra Davidov Temerinski

Jacobs Wrestling with the Angel in Virgin Ljevika Church

First example of Paleologan monumental art in medieval Serbia can be seen in the Virgin
Ljevika Church at Prizren. In its exonarthex (13101313), inner space is architecturally divided
into three bays frescoed by mainly symbolic compositions visualizing three stages of the economy
of salvation chronologically presented from the North to the South.
Northern bay elaborates the idea of Christs incarnation through the Virgin via illustrations
of the first sticheron of the second canon that St. John of Damascus wrote for the feast of the
Virgins Dormition, Jacobs Ladder, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, and the Tree of Jesse. Mid-bay
is dedicated to the Baptism as a first sacrament that introduces every human into the Christian
community of potentially saved; it is illustrated by Christs Baptism and the cycle of Preaching of St.
John the Baptist. Southern bay is decorated by numerous episodes of the Last Judgment, showing
the eschatological outcome that awaits every human at the End of Times.
Main subject of my presentation is the new interpretation of the motif of Jacob Wrestling with
the Angel (Gen. 32: 2430). It will be put in the context of the fresco decoration of northern bay and
exonarthex as a whole. In Christian interpretation, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel is always related
to his dream about Ladder (Gen. 28:1017), since both visions are parts of his dreams. Dream about
the ladder that connects earth and heaven is more appropriately understood as a Virgin type: she is
the one who makes a link between earth (humans) and heaven (divinity). Although Jacob Wrestling
with the Angel was not so successfully interpreted in the same sense, two episodes were often paired
in fresco programs in Paleologan times. They were seen as Virgin prefigurations and that notion was
based on exegesis, sermons and liturgical poetry and related to the idea of Incarnation.
Although not extensive, previous research on images of Jacob Wrestling with the Angel in
Byzantine painting pointed out that this motif was added to his dream of ladder more by inertia than
because it was convincingly related to Virgin. Nevertheless, there are texts providing that connection
but they were less popular than texts explaining the link between the Virgin and the ladder of Jacob.
In any case, Jacobs battle remained for Christians somehow devoid of meaning. Quite the opposite,
originally, in the Torah (Pentateuch), this was an important motif that determined basis for shaping
Jewish national identity as a chosen by God.
If we, even only for the sake of an intellectual argument apply results of the most recent
psychoanalytic interpretation of the episode of Jacob Wrestling with the Angel combined with the
one it was traditionally held for Jews, we would notice that this new sense that certainly a priori feels
incorrectly or at least alien for the Christians in fact perfectly fits into the context of fresco decoration
of Virgin Ljevika exonarthex and its concept of three main stages of Christian economy of salvation.

Vronique Deur-Petiteau

Images, spatialit et crmoniel dans le narthex des glises serbes

Lespace dentre des glises serbes occupe une place singulire dans larchitecture byzantine
des XIIIme et XIVme sicles. Les souverains nmanides et les hauts dignitaires de lEglise lui
accordent, en effet, une attention particulire : le narthex, dot de dimensions spacieuses, est
frquemment enrichi damnagements spcifiques, exonarthex, chapelles, tribunes, tours , prvus
ds lorigine ou ajouts. De plus, orn de peintures aux sujets nouveaux ou revisits, le narthex des
glises serbes apparat comme un point essentiel de ldifice. Les programmes, dune grande richesse
thmatique et dune teneur spirituelle leve, portent souvent lcho des controverses thologiques
de lpoque et rvlent lempreinte idologique et culturelle de leurs commanditaires.
Cependant, pour rvler toute sa complexit smantique, chaque image ne saurait tre
dissocie du programme dcoratif densemble dans lequel elle est insre ni de la configuration
architecturale du lieu (narthex, exonarthex, chapelle, tour, galerie) o elle apparat, qui possde
luimme une valeur fonctionnelle et liturgique propre.
Cet expos se propose, en consquence, de prsenter quelques exemples dinteractions possibles
entre image, espace et crmoniel qui se font jour dans le narthex des fondations monastiques des
Nmanides et de rflchir leur porte dans un espace ecclsial au carrefour du profane et du sacr.

Mirjana Gligorijevi Maksimovi

Classical Elements in the Paintings at Saint Niketas near Skopje

(text missing)

Anelija Kozakijevi

Representations of the Table of Wisdom

in Serbian Churches of the Fourteenth Century
During the height of Byzantine monumental painting from the end of the 13th throughout
the entirety of the 14th century, a tendency towards complexity is clearly noticeable in fresco
compositions. Of particular popularity were themes taken from the Old Testament. Using the
language of symbols, they expressed the evangelical truth of the incarnation of God and asserted
the role of the Virgin Mary within the economy of salvation. In this context a representation of the
Table of Wisdom appears as an illustration of the first verses in the ninth book of Proverbs. This
section, within the prescribed readings from the Old Testament, was read several times throughout
the liturgical year, mostly on feasts dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The first preserved fresco of the
Table of Wisdom can be found in the narthex of the church of the Mother of God Perivlepta (known
today as St. Clement of Ohrid) in Ohrid, dating from 1295. Thereafter, this theme was also painted in
monasteries of Graanica, Chilandar, the chapel of the Transfiguration in Rila, Deani and Markos
Monastery. The representations themselves highly differ in the iconographic sense, as well as their
location within the temple in which they were painted. Similar compositions can also be found in
Russia and Georgia during this period, but we will not deal those examples in this report. The most
significant influence on the appearance and development of this theme in Byzantine painting came
from commentaries on Proverbs in the texts of the Holy Fathers, church hymnography, as well
as in works by knowledgeable theologians that were produced parallel to the hesychastic disputes
and apologetics of those times. In each of the above, the figure of Wisdom is identified with Christ
as the Logos of God. The House of Wisdom can be interpreted in three ways: as the body which
the second hypostasis of the Holy Trinity assumed; as the Virgin Mary, whose womb became the
first home of the Incarnate Logos; and as the Church the mystical body of Christ, where the
faithful gather to participate in the Eucharist the Table of Holy Wisdom. A poetic example of this
patristic interpretation can be found in the Canon of Great Thursday Matins that was written by
St. Cosmas of Maiuma, who left a significant mark on the iconography of this representation. The
theme of Holy Wisdom was an item of frequent discussion in the dispute between the Hesychasts
and Humanists. St. Gregory Palamas, arguing against his opponents, pointed to the importance of
differentiation between Wisdom as a Divine Person and Wisdom as a Divine Trinitarian Energy.
According to Palamas teaching, Wisdom is an Energy, i.e. an ontological manifestation of the Holy
Trinity, without excluding the fact that Christ, as God the Son, is also the incarnate Wisdom. Such
statements can also be found in the work of Patriarch Philotheos Kokkinos of Constantinople in one
of his three treatises, where he offers his exegesis of the text of the ninth book of Proverbs.

Branka Gugolj

The Monastery Rudenica Church and Its Place in the Morava Serbia Architecture
The Monastery Rudenica church was built at the turn of the 15th century, which is indicated
by the ktetors portraits painted between 1403 and 1405. It is an endowment of Lord Vukasin, a
Despot Stefans treasurer, and his wife Vukosava. Its ground plan is in a shape of a reduced triconch,
with one dome. A narthex built in the same period is vaulted without window openings. The dome
square drum is circular on the inside and octagonal on the outside. Horizontal faade is split with
a string course, above which are rosettes and blind arcades, while in the lower section there are
bifora windows with stone tracery decorations. The church was built of undressed sandstone and
limestone and only the edges were reinforced with dressed sandstone blocks. The plastered faades
in fresco technique try to imitate the alternating stone and brick style.
Through centuries, the upper sections of the structure were destroyed and later on restored when
restoration and conservation works were conducted first in 1936-1937 and in 1994-1995. Rudenica
came into focus quite early, so already in 1877 there is a note that it is one of the beautiful flowers
in a fragrant wreath that has not yet taken its rightful place in the history of architecture. Soon after
that, its indisputable similarity with the Ljubostinja church was noticed, reflected in shaping the
exterior faades. Then a question is posed, what are the reasons for it? There had already been some
earlier examples of noblemens endowments modelled by the rulers ones, so the Rudenica church is
not an exception. Research in the architectural heritage of the Morava Serbia show that Ljubostinja
was not the only possible model and that analogies of its architectural elements ground plan,
upper structure, openings, material used, technique and manner of construction, stone tracery and
painting decorations could be found on chronologically and topographically similar churches,
as well as on those more remote ones. And that very study of elements makes it possible to view
Rudenica in a new light and to give a more precise answer to the question of its place in the Morava
Serbia architecture.

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Radmilo Petrovi

Serbian Art in the XVI Century

Longin, the monk who was infected with leprosy, tried to find his salvation in different church
labours like theology, church poetry, miniature illuminations, icons and fresco paintings.
In the second part of the 16th Century, Longin worked on Pes Patriarchate in 1563, frescoes
in Studenica in 1568, antimins in 1563, Mileeva frescoes in 1570, and worked at Graanica in
1771, something similar in same time in Priboj Banja and finally participated in Piva monastery
(Montenegro) in 1573.
Longin in his original native monastic place where he was born at Deani he made many
double icons for church light illumination. His best work in 1577 was important, biographic king
Stephan Deanskis, icon.
Longins theological dogmatic inspiration was liturgical achievement of the evangelist John
Apocalipse.
In this chronology of his works, fresco paintings at Poganovo, was normal consequence of his
colossal artistic activity.

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