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DOI Artikel:Dobrzeniecki, Tadeusz; Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie [Mitarb.]: Maiestas Domini from the Faras Cathedral in the National Museum in Warsaw: (prolegomena to the iconography)
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18864#0094
event the luminous figurę of Christ is connected, known to all trends of Greek theology, expressed
in the Chalcedon formuła on the one person in two natures of Christ68. Cyrill of Alexandria in
his literary image of Christ used the motif of the body radiating a brightness, which is indestruc-
tible, and life-giving. The viewsof Cyiill Iong influenced more and more strongly the writings of
theologians and, therefore, the divine aspect was accentuated in the image of Christ e9. The icon
of Christ is inspired by the Christology of the glory of Christ, by Patristic doctrine and by the
exegesis of texts concerning the Transfiguration on Mount Thabor70. The whole body of Christ
transfigured came to be seen as the luminous cloth of dhdnity.
In the writings of the defenders of holy images at the epoąue of iconoclasm, the terminology
used was that of the IVth and Vth century Cappadocian-Antioehian trinitarian and Christological
treatises, the figurative notions reąuiring the substantiation of the representation of Christ71.
With these terms these wiiters formulated the postulates for the icon of Christ72, which had
to be the image of Christ i.e. to represeut the prosopon of Christ, to depict His person and the waj
of revealing Himself—■ the epiphany. In such an understanding of the icon, known from the deci-
sion of the Councils of the VIIth—VIIIth century, the Cappadocian-Antioehian theology is
manifested.
The theological image of the Christ of glory and the Transfiguration became the norm for the
painter of icons73. According to Greek theologians the icon represents the eidos, idea, morphe,
schema, character, typos, idiomata. The artist amalgamates all these ideas in one whole, when he
places on the image the name of the person represented. Such is the significance of the title
(titulus) Sol Invictus placed at the figurę of Christ in the Nubian mural painting, the newest
discovery of Polish archeologists in Dongola (fig. 4, 5). Christ on the Faras fresco reveals His
essence with the words of the hymn on Logos, written in the open book of His Gospel. The Western
ideological counterpart of this representation is a miniaturę in the Gospel of ca 830 (Tours
scriptorium) : Christ is enthroned in the sphere of heaven. His feet are resting on the globe of
the earth, in the right hand He holds a high cross, in the left one —> the open book with the
mscription :<I>goc Zcoh (fig. 6)74.
68. Grillmeier, Le Chrisl,op.cit.,pp. 551—9 : La formule dogmatiąue de Chalcedoine ; see St John Chrysostom, De cruce et lat one
homilia I, Patr. Gr., XLIX, col. 401 ; see A. Riicker, "Die Adoratio Crucis am Karfreitag in den orientalischen Riten" in
Miscellanea liturgica in honorem L.C. Mohlbcrg, Bd. I, Roma, 1948, pp. 379—406 ; p. 392 — the song (Idiomelon) at the
deposition of the body of Christ to the Tomb: ,,Dich mit Licht bekleidet wie mit einern Gewand."
69. Ep. 45 (I quote after Grillmeier, Mit ihm, op.cit., p. 71 and footnote 105).
70. L. Ouspensky —W. Lossky, Der Sinn der Ikonen, Bern u. Olten, 1952, p.25/36/51 : „Sinn und Sprache der Ikonen : Haec
autem Iransfigitralionis figura (mirandus inąuit Erangelisla) facia est non secundum depositionem speciei, yidelicet humanae
figurae abiectionem, itno circa solam gloriom."
71. E. Kitzinger, „The Cult of Images in the Age before Iconoclasm," Dumbarlon Oaks Papers, VIII, 1954, pp. 83—150;
M.V. Anastos, The Ethical Theory of Images formulated by the Iconoclasts in 754 and 815, ibid. pp. 151—160.
72 . Ch. von Schonborn, L'lcdne du Christ. Fondements theologiąues ćlabores enlre le Ier et le Ile Concile de Nicee (325—757),
Fribourg, 1976 [PARADOSIS Etudes de littćrature et de theologic anciennes XXIV], pp. 54—735 : Les fondements christo-
logigues de l'Icdne.
73. According to Grillmeier, Mit ihm, op.cit., p. 73 and footnote 111 after the ample elaboration L. Koch, ,,Zur Theologie der
Christus-Ikone", Benediklinische Monatsschrift XX, 1938, pp. 32—47.
74. Stuttgart, Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek HB II 40, fol. lv; Dic Ausstelhmg Karl der Grosse-Werk und Wirkung,
Aachen, 1965, pp. 302 Nr 487, fig. 74.
84
in the Chalcedon formuła on the one person in two natures of Christ68. Cyrill of Alexandria in
his literary image of Christ used the motif of the body radiating a brightness, which is indestruc-
tible, and life-giving. The viewsof Cyiill Iong influenced more and more strongly the writings of
theologians and, therefore, the divine aspect was accentuated in the image of Christ e9. The icon
of Christ is inspired by the Christology of the glory of Christ, by Patristic doctrine and by the
exegesis of texts concerning the Transfiguration on Mount Thabor70. The whole body of Christ
transfigured came to be seen as the luminous cloth of dhdnity.
In the writings of the defenders of holy images at the epoąue of iconoclasm, the terminology
used was that of the IVth and Vth century Cappadocian-Antioehian trinitarian and Christological
treatises, the figurative notions reąuiring the substantiation of the representation of Christ71.
With these terms these wiiters formulated the postulates for the icon of Christ72, which had
to be the image of Christ i.e. to represeut the prosopon of Christ, to depict His person and the waj
of revealing Himself—■ the epiphany. In such an understanding of the icon, known from the deci-
sion of the Councils of the VIIth—VIIIth century, the Cappadocian-Antioehian theology is
manifested.
The theological image of the Christ of glory and the Transfiguration became the norm for the
painter of icons73. According to Greek theologians the icon represents the eidos, idea, morphe,
schema, character, typos, idiomata. The artist amalgamates all these ideas in one whole, when he
places on the image the name of the person represented. Such is the significance of the title
(titulus) Sol Invictus placed at the figurę of Christ in the Nubian mural painting, the newest
discovery of Polish archeologists in Dongola (fig. 4, 5). Christ on the Faras fresco reveals His
essence with the words of the hymn on Logos, written in the open book of His Gospel. The Western
ideological counterpart of this representation is a miniaturę in the Gospel of ca 830 (Tours
scriptorium) : Christ is enthroned in the sphere of heaven. His feet are resting on the globe of
the earth, in the right hand He holds a high cross, in the left one —> the open book with the
mscription :<I>goc Zcoh (fig. 6)74.
68. Grillmeier, Le Chrisl,op.cit.,pp. 551—9 : La formule dogmatiąue de Chalcedoine ; see St John Chrysostom, De cruce et lat one
homilia I, Patr. Gr., XLIX, col. 401 ; see A. Riicker, "Die Adoratio Crucis am Karfreitag in den orientalischen Riten" in
Miscellanea liturgica in honorem L.C. Mohlbcrg, Bd. I, Roma, 1948, pp. 379—406 ; p. 392 — the song (Idiomelon) at the
deposition of the body of Christ to the Tomb: ,,Dich mit Licht bekleidet wie mit einern Gewand."
69. Ep. 45 (I quote after Grillmeier, Mit ihm, op.cit., p. 71 and footnote 105).
70. L. Ouspensky —W. Lossky, Der Sinn der Ikonen, Bern u. Olten, 1952, p.25/36/51 : „Sinn und Sprache der Ikonen : Haec
autem Iransfigitralionis figura (mirandus inąuit Erangelisla) facia est non secundum depositionem speciei, yidelicet humanae
figurae abiectionem, itno circa solam gloriom."
71. E. Kitzinger, „The Cult of Images in the Age before Iconoclasm," Dumbarlon Oaks Papers, VIII, 1954, pp. 83—150;
M.V. Anastos, The Ethical Theory of Images formulated by the Iconoclasts in 754 and 815, ibid. pp. 151—160.
72 . Ch. von Schonborn, L'lcdne du Christ. Fondements theologiąues ćlabores enlre le Ier et le Ile Concile de Nicee (325—757),
Fribourg, 1976 [PARADOSIS Etudes de littćrature et de theologic anciennes XXIV], pp. 54—735 : Les fondements christo-
logigues de l'Icdne.
73. According to Grillmeier, Mit ihm, op.cit., p. 73 and footnote 111 after the ample elaboration L. Koch, ,,Zur Theologie der
Christus-Ikone", Benediklinische Monatsschrift XX, 1938, pp. 32—47.
74. Stuttgart, Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek HB II 40, fol. lv; Dic Ausstelhmg Karl der Grosse-Werk und Wirkung,
Aachen, 1965, pp. 302 Nr 487, fig. 74.
84