Godina izdanja: Ostalo
ISBN: Ostalo
Autor: Domaći
Jezik: Engleski
Oblast: Istorija umetnosti

Odlično stanje


ICONS AND FRESCOES FROM THE TREASURIES OF MACEDONIA

More than a millennium ago, at the end of the 9th century, the speech of the Macedonian Slays was taken as the basis of the Slavonic literary language, thus giving them access to the highest cultural achievements. From the time of the Apostles to the Slays, Cyril and Methodius, down to the Turkish conquest at the end of the 14th century, Macedonia was by no means a provincial or peripheral area in the cultural sense. On the contrary, it radiated impulses that influenced the course of medieval culture in general and the arts in particular. After the disintegration of Samoil`s empire in 1018, it ceased to exist as an independent state, and was subjected to frequent political changes, particularly after the downfall of Byzantium (1204) autocephalous Ohrid archbishopric, however, maintained its status for almost eight centuries, subordinated to neither Rome nor Constantinople. Within this see there were many outstanding writers and theologians, patrons of the arts and others with a relined appreciation of all forms of artistic activity. Though this ecclesiastical organization was in reality an adjunct of the political authorities, the Slavonic language continued to be used together with the Greek, Clement of Ohrid was still honored and revered, and many concessions were made to the needs of the Macedonians, who formed the basis of the Ohrid archdiocese. The Macedonians adopted the Byzantine artistic conventions as their own, but made their particular contribution in this style, as was the case with other Balkan nations, in Russia, and in other regions from the Caucasus to Venice.
Following the defeat of the iconoclasts in the mid-9th century, Byzantine art entered into a period of flowering, with many innovations in subject and technique. Salonika and Ohrid, as administrative and cultural centers, made a great contribution to this upsurge in all aspects of artistic activity. After the important discoveries of previously unknown frescoes in Ohrid, Prilep, Skopje, Strumica, Kostur in Aegean Macedonia and Melnik in Pirin Macedonia, it became clear that these Macedonian monuments were outstanding representatives of Byzantine art and that a reconstruction of the art of South-East Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries was impossible without the inclusion of Macedonian works. Moreover, some frescoes, such as those in the church of Sveta Sofija (Holy Wisdom) in Ohrid. Nerezi near Skopje, Kurbinovo on Lake Prespa, and the works of Michael and Eutyches, Metropolitan Jovan of Prilep and the master of Mark`s Monastery, may take their place among the supreme artistic creations of the Middle Ages. This fact is confirmed today by the presence of these works in general surveys of the history of art which are not simply regional in scope but aim to give a cross-section of the general trends in European artistic creativity. Macedonia entered scholarly writing on the history of art at the beginning of this century thanks primarily to the Ohrid collection of icons. Today, augmented by further examples, this collection ranks, together with the icons of Sinai, Athos and Russia, among the most outstanding in existence not only, in number but in their great artistic and aesthetic value. Icon-painting was closely connected with fresco-painting, icons mostly being the work of the same masters who adorned the walls of medieval churches. Recent research has confirmed that a number of subjects that were later often treated in other countries of the Byzantine cultural sphere first appeared in Macedonian monuments. Thematic innovation was a constant feature of the art practised in Salonica and Ohrid, testifying to the dynamism and intellectual vigor of artists in these centers. Works of art reflect not only the creative power of the artists but also social and historical conditions and the evolution of religious thinking. Unfortunately, our knowledge of the art of the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, is very limited, since most of its monuments were destroyed after the Turkish conquest. This, of course, greatly restricts our overall appreciation of the capital`s artistic influence on Macedonia and other Orthodox lands. This publication presents a modest excerpt from the great opus of Macedonian frescoes and icons, which it is hoped will arouse the interest of art lovers abroad and encourage all who can to come to see the original works in the authentic setting, together with the many other art treasures of Macedonia.

Published by: THE SECRETARIAT FOR INFORMATION OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA - Skopje
Text: Cvetan Grozdanov
Photographs: Blagoja Drnkov
Editor: Rada Putnikovič Matič
Art Editor and Lay-out: Miodrag Vartabedijan
Florence, 1976
Printed by: La Zincografica Fiorentina

number of Icons prints: 12
Size of Icon prints 38x19 cm (14.96x7.48 inch)





Tags:
Istorija vizantije vizantijske umetnosti makedonske freske makedonsko slikarstvo ikone ikona manastiri blago kulturno kultura