Tag: frescoes

writ1

Ancient Handwriting Analysis Unveils Identity of Famed Byzantine Painter

Experts may have finally solved a centuries-old mystery surrounding the identity of "Manuel Panselinos," a renowned Byzantine painter celebrated for blending spirituality with humanity in Orthodox religious art. New research suggests Panselinos was a nickname for Ioannis Astrapas, a 14th-century artist from Thessaloniki. Using forensic handwriting analysis, scholars linked Astrapas’s script in a Paris manuscript to fresco inscriptions in Mount Athos’s Protato Church, long attributed to Panselinos. The findings shed light on a pivotal figure in Byzantine art, whose work harmonized ancient classical techniques with Orthodox traditions.

Saint George

The Tale of St. George, the Dragon-Slayer

St George’s origins and his military background linked him to Byzantium and its military tradition. As early as the 6th century he is depicted in military garb, but on foot. From the 9th century onwards, he begins to be shown on horseback wielding a spear. The image of St George on horseback slaying evil – in its broadest sense – have dominated the iconography from the 11th-12th centuries until the present day.