Saturday 12 November 2016

Byzantine painting in Macedonia

The church of St. Panteleimon near Skopje was built in 12th century. It was Yugoslavia not so long ago, now the country is called Macedonia and its people speak a Slav language called Macedonian. In the12th century this was Byzantium and the people spoke a Greek dialect also called Macedonian.
The murals in the church of St. Panteleimon are clearly mediaeval but I haven't found any proper book on the subject (not in a language I would understand, anyway). The paintings are clearly in two very different styles. There are even the same Biblical scenes painted in two different styles. Today they are uncovered and can be seen next to each other but it is quite likely that they were not created at the same time. The paintings with a lot of blue and green colours are supposed to have been painted just after the church was built, in the 12th century and considered to be in what is called 'the linear style'. I haven't found any info about the paintings in yellow-purple colours. They seem to me to be in the so called 'Paleologue style', which was used later (14th century). This style is much more dynamic and expressive. This is just a guess, I am not a specialist in the subject of Greek icon painting.  

The church of St Panteleimon near Skopje

The church of St Panteleimon near Skopje - interior

Murals inside the church of St Panteleimon near Skopje

Transfiguration in linear style

Raising of Lasarus in linear style

Transfiguration in Paleologue style

Raising of Lasarus in Paleologue stule

Agony at Gethsemane in Paleologue style

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