DOI Heft:
No. 4
DOI Artikel:Ratkowska, Paulina: An East Christian diptych with the Heortological Cycle
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17160#0111
The bearded. majestatically austere Christ is in a plain nimbus with slighty flaring arms
of the cross and only in the Mesopentecosl the head of adolescent Jesus is surrounded with
a cruciform halo. adorned at the rim with pearl-bead band. The matrona] Virgin, not nimbed
except on the tympans. has nothing to distinguish Her from Eve. the Prophetess Anne or from
the Marys at the Sepulrhre. The Apostles are a distant reminiscence of ancient philosophers
in retaining their hairdress with the fringe and their suspension of arm in the loop of the pal-
lium. The folding of drapery is schematic but ultimately functional with the only decorative
accent depending on the zigzag pattern of hanging edges of garments. The emphatic but mo-
notonous gestures of the big hands suggestively portray the acts and the emotiona! reaction
of the parucipants of the events. The vividness and legibility of the images, and the peculiar
expression readible in glances of the punctured pupils that gives the figures a spiritual dignity
eounterbalance the lack of physical beauty and elegance of attitude and movements. This
expressionistie figurę style with its souat proportions and unsophisticated folding of drapery
brings to mind sonie miniatures of Rossanensis7, Petropolitanus 218, Hamilton 246a or Atheniensis
21110 (fig. 6 — 8, 10—17), generally speaking, the art commonly associated with the Asiatic
East rather than with the Capital11.
The composition of the compartments, conceived within the frame, is two-dimensional
and symmetrical. It vested the representations with the solemn character of a liturgical act.
Its distinctive feature is a elear horizontal division between the crowning and the figura)
part, and a compact, maximal filling of the surface in both: the figures cover almost whole
compartment and in the crowning the background is practically entirely sheltered with de-
coration. The compositional principie of the impres-ive Lasl Supper is not far distant from
that of the relief of the door in Abu Sargeh in Old Cairo12 (fig. 18,19) both of them showing
a basically not-illusionistic attitude of the carvers. The Natiyity of the diptych recalls the
same scenę, also inscribed into a semicircular arcade, in Hamilton 24613 (fig 16,17). Besides
the mentioned above connections of the figurę style, the latter compositional similarities with
the miniaturę seem to allow the supposition that the carver of the Warsaw diptych shared
the stylistical orientation or used as a model for his work Greek Asiatic manuscripts with their
not-idealized types, neutra! backgrounds and taste to narrative. May be, it was to the influ-
ence of such models that the Gospel nuotation above the Raising of Lazarus is to be ascribed,
that took the place of the common J-j gf€>PCIC AAZA POV •"
The fiat decorative character of the compartments and whole wings. due to the conseauently
used vertical perspective and symmetrical. rhytmized figurę composition, strives for the better
with the real spatiality of the figures. caused by the remarkable protuberance of the relief and
precise finishing of its side planes (fig. 20). The fluency of outlines and carefully smoothening
of forms give the figures a peculiar terete appearance that resembles a little a ginger snap. The
spatial impression is intensified by the particularly deep cutting of hcads and hands, some of
them wholly separated from the background. bv the plastic treatment of the hair and of
broader folds of draperies. The carver embosses the hair en masse, rounding its bulge and
7. Ch. R. Morcy, F.arly Christian Arl. Princeton. 1942. fig. 119
8. Ch. R. Morcy. op. cii., fig. 122: the Mmc, „Notes on Easl Christian Miniatures", The Art Bullctin, XI, 1929,
No. 1. p. 5-103, fig. 76.
9. I mcan fol. 50 (Xtb eentury), repr. J. Ebersolt. La miniaturę byzantine, Paris — BruxeUes. 1926, pl. XLIV, p. 44.
10. A. Grabar. ..Miniatures Greco-Orientales. II. L'n manuscrit des Homćlies de St Jean Chrysostome a la Bibliotheque
Nationale d'Athenes (Atheniensis 211)". Seminarium Kondakmianum, V, p. 259, fig. 3(XXI) and 1(XVIII).
11. K. Weitzmann, Die Byzantinische Buchmalerei des 9. unii 10 Jhts, Berlin, 19:15, p. 49 — 71.
12. K. Weissel, Abendmahl unct Apostelkommunwn, Reckiinghausen. 1964. p. 48. fig. 50.
13. J. Ebersolt. ,,Miniatures byzantines dc Berlin", Rerue Archeolof!ique. LII, 1905 (II). p. 55 sq.
14. The same quotation is fotind in Hemsbey-Klisse, this tirne. ho\vever. inscribed as Christ's pronouncement and not as
the title, set G. Millet, Recherches sur 1'icononraphie de l'Ei'angile aux XIV', XVe cl XVI" siecles, Paris, 1916, fi*.
205.
97
of the cross and only in the Mesopentecosl the head of adolescent Jesus is surrounded with
a cruciform halo. adorned at the rim with pearl-bead band. The matrona] Virgin, not nimbed
except on the tympans. has nothing to distinguish Her from Eve. the Prophetess Anne or from
the Marys at the Sepulrhre. The Apostles are a distant reminiscence of ancient philosophers
in retaining their hairdress with the fringe and their suspension of arm in the loop of the pal-
lium. The folding of drapery is schematic but ultimately functional with the only decorative
accent depending on the zigzag pattern of hanging edges of garments. The emphatic but mo-
notonous gestures of the big hands suggestively portray the acts and the emotiona! reaction
of the parucipants of the events. The vividness and legibility of the images, and the peculiar
expression readible in glances of the punctured pupils that gives the figures a spiritual dignity
eounterbalance the lack of physical beauty and elegance of attitude and movements. This
expressionistie figurę style with its souat proportions and unsophisticated folding of drapery
brings to mind sonie miniatures of Rossanensis7, Petropolitanus 218, Hamilton 246a or Atheniensis
21110 (fig. 6 — 8, 10—17), generally speaking, the art commonly associated with the Asiatic
East rather than with the Capital11.
The composition of the compartments, conceived within the frame, is two-dimensional
and symmetrical. It vested the representations with the solemn character of a liturgical act.
Its distinctive feature is a elear horizontal division between the crowning and the figura)
part, and a compact, maximal filling of the surface in both: the figures cover almost whole
compartment and in the crowning the background is practically entirely sheltered with de-
coration. The compositional principie of the impres-ive Lasl Supper is not far distant from
that of the relief of the door in Abu Sargeh in Old Cairo12 (fig. 18,19) both of them showing
a basically not-illusionistic attitude of the carvers. The Natiyity of the diptych recalls the
same scenę, also inscribed into a semicircular arcade, in Hamilton 24613 (fig 16,17). Besides
the mentioned above connections of the figurę style, the latter compositional similarities with
the miniaturę seem to allow the supposition that the carver of the Warsaw diptych shared
the stylistical orientation or used as a model for his work Greek Asiatic manuscripts with their
not-idealized types, neutra! backgrounds and taste to narrative. May be, it was to the influ-
ence of such models that the Gospel nuotation above the Raising of Lazarus is to be ascribed,
that took the place of the common J-j gf€>PCIC AAZA POV •"
The fiat decorative character of the compartments and whole wings. due to the conseauently
used vertical perspective and symmetrical. rhytmized figurę composition, strives for the better
with the real spatiality of the figures. caused by the remarkable protuberance of the relief and
precise finishing of its side planes (fig. 20). The fluency of outlines and carefully smoothening
of forms give the figures a peculiar terete appearance that resembles a little a ginger snap. The
spatial impression is intensified by the particularly deep cutting of hcads and hands, some of
them wholly separated from the background. bv the plastic treatment of the hair and of
broader folds of draperies. The carver embosses the hair en masse, rounding its bulge and
7. Ch. R. Morcy, F.arly Christian Arl. Princeton. 1942. fig. 119
8. Ch. R. Morcy. op. cii., fig. 122: the Mmc, „Notes on Easl Christian Miniatures", The Art Bullctin, XI, 1929,
No. 1. p. 5-103, fig. 76.
9. I mcan fol. 50 (Xtb eentury), repr. J. Ebersolt. La miniaturę byzantine, Paris — BruxeUes. 1926, pl. XLIV, p. 44.
10. A. Grabar. ..Miniatures Greco-Orientales. II. L'n manuscrit des Homćlies de St Jean Chrysostome a la Bibliotheque
Nationale d'Athenes (Atheniensis 211)". Seminarium Kondakmianum, V, p. 259, fig. 3(XXI) and 1(XVIII).
11. K. Weitzmann, Die Byzantinische Buchmalerei des 9. unii 10 Jhts, Berlin, 19:15, p. 49 — 71.
12. K. Weissel, Abendmahl unct Apostelkommunwn, Reckiinghausen. 1964. p. 48. fig. 50.
13. J. Ebersolt. ,,Miniatures byzantines dc Berlin", Rerue Archeolof!ique. LII, 1905 (II). p. 55 sq.
14. The same quotation is fotind in Hemsbey-Klisse, this tirne. ho\vever. inscribed as Christ's pronouncement and not as
the title, set G. Millet, Recherches sur 1'icononraphie de l'Ei'angile aux XIV', XVe cl XVI" siecles, Paris, 1916, fi*.
205.
97