Paraklesis (Theotokos And John The Forerunner)
Panayia Asinou (Church : Troodos--Cyprus)
Icons--post-Byzantine--Cyprus
Εικόνες--Μεταβυζαντινές--Κύπρος
Παναγία της Ασίνου (Ναός : Τρόοδος--Κύπρος
The composition of Paraklesis flanks the templon of the naos. The portraits of Mary and John and Christ the Merciful are depicted on either side of the bema, responds and create a link with the same representation attested, on the respective position in the narthex leading to the naos. This duplication motif was a common figurative scheme in late Byzantine monasteries. As scholars state, both representations operate as gradual markers of holiness zones with the ultimate holiness area of a church being the sanctuary. The most elaborate figure of the composition is Mary. She is inclined towards Christ and holds a scroll on which a verse dialogue between her and her son is written. Mary’s words are written in black and Christ’s in red. The Theotokos beseeches her son for salvation in favour of the humankind: “Receive the entreaty of the one who bore you, O Logos.” “What is it you seek, mother?” “The salvation of mortals.” “They have angered me.” “Have compassion, my son.” “But they do not repent.” “And save [them out of your] charity.” “They shall be redeemed.” “I thank you, O Logos.” The representation of Mary praising her son, can be attested from the late twelfth century onwards and was a favourite theme in monumental art, not only in Cyprus but in the Byzantine world in general. Therefore, the possibility of the Paraklesis appearing within the initial iconographic program at Asinou, as early as the early twelfth century, would preserve a distinguished example. Depending on a missing patch of the fourteenth century fresco layer, we can assume that in the original scene again Mary was depicted on the same that position but far more left from the current figure, closer to the north wall. Moreover if we assume that again Mary was holding a scroll based on the respective composition at Apsinthiotissa, then this would be much narrower than the present. Therefore the Paraklesis in the bema at Asinou seems to serve as one of the earliest examples of the synthesis and stresses the church’s ground-breaking mural programme. Concerning John the Baptist, he is depicted in khaki chiton, holding a shaft with a cross on its top and a scarf knotted in front. He must not be included behind Mary in the programme of 1105/6 as there was not enough space. However, during the course of the period between the original fresco programme and the fourteenth century layer, the inclusion of John in the Paraklesis composition in contemporaneous churches became the norm. Therefore it was inevitable him not to be included.
Ioannides, Marinos
Digital Heritage Research Lab of Cyprus University of Technology
Library of Cyprus University of Technology
2006
Απαγορεύεται η δημοσίευση ή αναπαραγωγή, ηλεκτρονική ή άλλη χωρίς τη γραπτή συγκατάθεση του δημιουργού.
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Παναγία της Ασίνου (Ναός : Τρόοδος--Κύπρος)
Saint Tychon, Bishop of Amathus, is the figure appearing within a medallion above the south-east arch.
The Sacrifice of Isaac is dispersed over four scenes and dominates most of the triumphal arch. As with the portrait of the Virgin on the arch, the composition of Isaac’s sacrifice dates to the second painting programme of bema and naos, i.e. to the late thirteenth century. The first scene on the north is the ram tied to a tree, the second one is the flaming altar and the third is Abraham interrupting the sacrifice of Isaac as an angel by saying: “Abraham, Abraham, do not lay your hand on the boy”. The fourth scene, on the southern end of the arch, portrays two young boys along with the grazing donkey.
John of Damascus occupies the northern side of the triumphal arch above the bema of the church and is dated to the refurbishment programme of the bema. He is depicted in a monk’s attire as in the narthex, facing upward to the sacrifice of Isaac. He holds an open scroll on which the following text is written: “What praiseworthy ode to you”. The text is the same as that inscribed on the scroll he holds in his depiction in the narthex.
The Mother of God Pantanassa (Queen of All), flanked by Archangels Michael and Gabriel, are depicted on the conch of the apse of the bema area. They belong to the late thirteenth-century fresco layer. Mary is portrayed full-length in the type of Acheiropiitos with her hands raised in supplication and the Archangels stepping towards her with bare hands in evidence of veneration. In stylistic and technical terms, the figure of the Virgin resembles to a great degree the portrait of Saint Anastasia Pharmakolytria and her devotee Anastasia Saramalina, in the narthex, which is dated to the iconographic programme of 1332 A.D. Comparing their faces, the similarities are impressive, leading the archaeologists to state that both murals were executed by the same hand. The particular iconographic type of the Virgin with her hands raised in prayer, depicted on the thirteenth-century fresco layer, does not seem to copy the original composition. There is a strong belief suggesting that initially the Virgin with a medallion of Christ on her breast was painted on the apse. In support of that, firstly, the Asinou Master who adorned the apse of the bema also adorned the tympanum above the eastern door of the narthex within the same iconographic programme, i.e. 1105. That composition shows the Mother of God with the Christ within a medallion in front of her. Therefore, it would be odd to paint the Mother of God in two entirely different types. Additionally, a proportion of the other surviving contemporaneous apses in Cyprus includes the Virgin in the type with the medallion. Therefore the intriguing fact is that the type in which Virgin is depicted on the apse of Asinou was not a trend in the period between the initial and the later fresco layer, suggesting a paradox.
Painted on the vault over the bema, the fragmentary Ascension shows Jesus Christ in a round mandorla with four angels flanking him.
Saint Lazarus, Bishop of Kition, is depicted, in a medallion, on the spandrel of the arch, on the north wall of the bema
On the western side of the soffit’s lower zone of the south-eastern recess, Saint James the Lord’s Brother is depicted.
On the south-east niche in the bema area, the scene of the Presentation of Theotokos to the Temple is shown. As with the majority of the murals attested within the bema area, the scene is chronologically placed in the original decorating programme. Mary is represented as a child which is declared by her diminutive size, while her parents and seven daughters of Hebrews holding lighted candles follow.
In the niche formed on the southern wall of the bema area, Christ as Emmanuel is painted. It is dated to 1631 A.D. Its original position was on the strengthened masonry on the south face of the apse. However, in 1953 A.D. the masonry was removed and the fresco was displaced to its current location. The painting seems to belong to the painters Yerasimos and Theophylaktos Palpi. Regarding the iconography of the fresco, there are several names of bishops, priests, monks and laity written under the chalice. The intention was to hold a memorial for them at the Prothesis. These names include high-ranked personalities of the Cypriot clergy such as Christodoulos, Archbishop of Cyprus during the first half of the seventeenth century and Makarios, Bishop of Soli.