The Greatest Painter of the Palaeologan Era
During the first period of the Palaiologan era (1263-1330), monumental works of unparalleled beauty were created. Representative examples of the art of this period can be found on Mount Athos, Thessaloniki, Veroia and in other regions of Greece.
On Mount Athos, the spiritual and artistic flourishing of the Palaiologan era is reflected in the fresco decoration of the monasteries. Large monasteries, such as the Holy Monastery of Megisti Lavra, the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi and the Holy Monastery of Hilandar, wishing to renew the interior of their churches, invited some of the most popular artists of the time to Athos. The iconographic work of the Athonite monasteries thus influenced not only the neighbouring city of Thessaloniki, but also the whole of Macedonia and medieval Serbia.
Thessaloniki is associated with many artists. Manuel Panselenos, whose hagiographic works adorn, among others, the temple of Protaton, Georgios Kalliergis and Michael Astrapas were some of the most important artists of the time. All of them lived and worked in the workshops of Thessaloniki for about 30 years (1290-1320). They are considered the most important representatives of monumental painting of the Palaeologan period. The pictorial movement that was formed through their activity was characterized as the 'Macedonian School'.
The frescoes of the church of Protaton are rightly considered the most important works of this period on Mount Athos. They date back to the 18th century and are attributed to Michael Panselenos.
From the 17th century onwards, the name of Panselenos began to appear in written sources. In the early 18th century, Dionysios ek Fourna refers to the artist through his work 'Interpretation of the Art of Painting'. Shortly afterwards, the Russian traveler Barsky (1744) and the Serbian artist Zefarovic (second half of the 18th century) equally refer to his personality.
As noted in the "Interpretation of the Art of Painting", Dionysius learned the art of hagiography by imitating "the brilliant Manuel Panselin of Thessaloniki, who painted the churches of Mount Athos". Dionysius advised those who were being trained in the art of hagiography to imitate the work of Panselnos.
The quality of his work was so high that he was considered to have surpassed all the artists known up to that time.
The artistic value of the frescoes of the Protatus and the creative personality of Panselnos greatly influenced later hagiographers. Indeed, many scholars claim that from the 18th century onwards, the monks of Mount Athos began to attribute to Panselnos any work that resembled the iconographic choices and character of the Protatus.
Barsky, who visited Mount Athos in 1744, reports that, according to Athonite tradition, the frescoes in the catholic of the old monastery of Saint Panteleimon and the catholic of the Holy Monastery of Hilandar were also considered his works.
But beyond the legend created around the face of Panselnos, studies place the artist's activity in the late 13th - early 14th century. His name is closely associated not only with the frescoes of the temple of Protatus, but also with numerous works of the Palaeologan period, as well as with the Macedonian school.
19th century travellers, admiring his works, often compared the artist to Giotto and even Raphael.
Stylistic Elements in the Art of Panselinos
The main features of the painting of Pansoulin are as follows:
- The monumentality of the composition,
- The narrative character of the representations,
- The rendering of movement,
- The emphasis on the rendering of the plasticity of the body,
- The adherence to the models of ancient Greek art,
- The realistic elements combined with the expression of high spirituality.
Realism and Drama
In the temple of Protatus, the artist's special attention to the rendering of details is observed. The Passion of Christ is expressed through the peculiar movement of the figures, while his art is influenced by elements of realism. These are particularly noticeable in the scenes of the Crucifixion and the Deposition. There the human pain before the event of death is depicted with great expressiveness. In the other scenes the expression of pain is not as intense. Moreover, it is mainly expressed through posture, head tilt and gestures.
The Crucifixion
The all-holy face of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as the expressions of the women who accompany her, highlight the pain and sorrow, the human lamentation before the event of the crucifixion. John, on the right of Christ, also expresses pain through the posture of his body. Behind John's figure is the Roman centurion, whose movements express his fear and terror before the Deity.
The Deposition
In the representation of the Last Supper, the apostles participate as silent witnesses to the coming crucifixion of Christ. Their faces are shadowed by a subtle sense of a sadness and melancholy.
In the prayer scene on the Mount of Olives, the way in which the postures of the sleeping bodies of the apostles are depicted is particularly striking. The relaxation of their bodies contrasts with the melancholy expression of the apostle James at the centre of the pictorial composition. His face looks frozen with a subtle expression of pain at the impending betrayal of Judas and the arrest of Christ. Despite the outward calm of the depiction, the impression of a drama that is being brought to its climax is evoked in the recipient.
In the scene of Judas' betrayal, the dynamics of the two central figures pervade the entire pictorial composition. The splendour of Christ's calmness, his serene expression and his acceptance of the will of God the Father, contrast with the sudden movement of the figure of Judas. Of the group of Jews and apostles watching the scene of betrayal, the figure of the apostle Peter stands out, pervaded by a restrained tension.
The Full Moon also manages to depict the figure of Pontius Pilate in a unique way. He is possessed by sadness and shyness in the face of impending events. Finally, the inclination of Jesus' head, as well as his facial expression, testify to his submission to the Divine will.
Classicism
The fresco decoration of the Protaton demonstrates the artist's conscious desire to revive classicism within the Byzantine visual mode, combining its ideological foundation with the spirituality of Christian theology. The classicism of the Palaeologan period is essentially shaped through Panselnos' interest in ancient Greek models. One of the most striking examples is the depiction of the group of apostles in the scene of the Assumption. The amount of space allocated for this fresco is impressive. To develop the subject, the artist chooses a surface more than 6 metres wide. Unlike the other scenes, in the Assumption of the Virgin, the expression of pain and loss in the faces of the apostles is rendered with a gentle posture of the bodies. It is the expression of a restrained sorrow that recalls examples of ancient funerary reliefs.
The style of the figure of the angel in the scene of the Baptism of Christ also resembles a work from the classical period.
The figure of an old man holding two dolphins and the group of dancing children in the Baptism of Christ scene express the artist's desire to turn to late classical themes. All the art of the Palaeolithic period has been subject to similar visual influences.
It is worth noting that the revival of classicism in the frescoes of the Protaton indicates the strength of this great artist's personality. Not only does Pansoulinos reproduce the style of the bodies and facial expressions of classicism, using examples from antiquity, but he incorporates in his work the idea and the humanistic essence of the artistic movement. These artistic characteristics of his art permeate the frescoes of Protatus and distinguish them significantly from the works of Michael and Eutychius Astrapa.
The main characteristics of the painting of Pansoulinos are ultimately defined as follows:
- Balance and symmetry in the composition,
- autonomy and independence of the figures combined with a sense of continuity in the expression of the faces,
- an attempt to render the plasticity of the bodies through the rich clothing,
- expressiveness of lines,
- rich colour palette,
- expression of deep spirituality.
All of the above were formed and developed in the artistic environment of Thessaloniki, which influenced the personality and direction of the artistic course of Panselinos.
