Panayia Asinou (Church : Troodos--Cyprus)
Icons--post-Byzantine--Cyprus
Εικόνες--Μεταβυζαντινές--Κύπρος
Παναγία της Ασίνου (Ναός : Τρόοδος--Κύπρος)
Saint Anargyri, moneyless’ saints, occupy the eastern side of the soffit of the southern wall of the central bay. They are Saint Ermolaos, Saint Panteleimon, Saint Damian and Saint Cosmas. They were practitioners who offered their services without accepting any money from their patients and therefore were associated with the concept of healing. Their depiction on the soffit of the south wall was intentional and promoted their protective role, not only for the worshippers but the donor too. Even though traces of the twelfth layer are not visible in any part, it is supposed that the same saints were painted there and this is another way the cosmopolitan aura of Asinou is revealed. The Anargyri Cosmas and Damian are of particular interest as possibly in every church they are included within their iconographic cycles.
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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The Anastasis scene is to be found on the lunette, of the northern wall of the naos. As the other story-telling scenes regarding the Christological cycle, except the Women at the Tomb, the scene is entitled with the label Anastasis. The representation shows Jesus pulling, Adam and Eve out of their tombs. Next to Eve, Cain is painted while behind Jesus Christ Prophets John the Baptist, Solomon and David are represented. The specific Anastasis scene existent since the eleventh century, and painted at Asinu in the early twelfth century, is considered to be the oldest type of the Descent into Hell scenes. The fourteenth-century layer seems to copy the original representation, and mistakenly, adds the name of Cain to the child of the proto-parents, who remained anonymous since the twelfth century. A certain addition though, to the 1105 scene, is the scroll of John the Baptist, which reads: 'Behold the one of whom I said he comes after me' (John 1:29–30).
Anna, the mother of the Virgin, is depicted on the pillar underneath the Annunciation scene. Along with eoakim, Her father, portrayed on either respond of the bema arch, proclaim the human nature of Christ in the Annunciation. Depictions of them have been attested at Trikomo and at Asinu itself on the twelfth century layer within the bema area in scenes of the Mariological cycle. However, the whole representation of the bema arch bears visual features belonging to its era. Their contemporaneous parallels are to be found in Crete where Anna and eoakim are depicted in medallions beneath the Annunciation.
The episode of the Annunciation is divided on each side of the two apse responds of the bema area, resulting in a visual interplay. This dates to the 1105 A.D. On the north side, an angel appears in action, holding a wand with a fleur-de-lis made of valuable stones on top. On the south side of the apse, the Virgin is depicted on a throne and holding a spindle and scarlet wool. Customary as it was, Mary was weaving a veil before entering the Temple.
On the eastern transverse arch of the central bay, which is a strengthened later addition, the Annunciation scene in a compound with Christ as the Ancient of Days is illustrated. The Virgin is depicted enthroned, holding the spindle in front of an architectural scenery with pots of flowers. At the centre, Jesus as the Ancient of Days sends the dove of the Holy Spirit to Mary in a very descriptive way while Archangel Gabriel, on the northern side, moves towards Her. The portrait of Christ as the Ancient of Days constitutes a problematic theme. Here at Asinou, His representation in this type is the first example attested in Cyprus. Christ Emmanuel or the Mandylion are portrait types of Him attested elsewhere. A parallel depiction seems to exist at Saint Nicholas Agoriane in Greece from around the same period (ca. 1300). Based on that, the figure of the Ancient of the Days promotes the belief that Christ is identified with the Father, who exists before time and along with the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove constitute the Holy Trinity. Therefore, this could be a visual crash test of the filioque. However, this does not seem to be the case in Lusignan Cyprus. Rather the attention must be paid to the interplay of the message of Incarnation through time on the eastern transverse arch and the Incarnation through the Prophecies on the western. According to scholars’ beliefs, the placement of the Holy Mandylion and the Ancient of Days in the apex of the transverse arches may substitute the absence of Pantokrator in the central apex of the nave. Traditionally, the Annunciation scene decorates the bema opening and so the twelfth-century representation does. But during the course of the time span between A.D. 1105/6 and the fourteenth-century redecoration in which this fresco belongs, the Annunciation scene was relocated to the bema arch. Therefore, the fourteenth century painters left the twelfth-century fresco as it was and added the Annunciation scene on the bema arch as it was the trend during that time. Finally, contradictory features co-exist in the depiction of the Virgin. On the one hand, Mary is depicted in a novel type in Cypriot artistic context which derives from the customary representation of the scene attested in the West. Specifically, the composition evokes contemporary architectural setting. Also, the vivid colours and the vigorous movements of the figures seem to depart from the stylized postures of the previous centuries. On the other hand, Theotokos is dressed in an attire reminiscing twelfth century style. In this way, the painter highlighted the importance of tradition and conservatism in art and incorporates the message of the scene into the new style trends and the visual program of the central nave.
Apostle Paul is located on the north respond of the western transverse arch of the naos while Saint Peter is portrayed opposite, on the south respond. The respond was placed as a reinforcement during alterations took place in the thirteenth century, covering the original frescoes of the twelfth century. An important detail is that these may be executed during the same time as the Virgin and the frescoes on the triumphal arch of the apse, but not by the same hand. The figure of Paul consists of the subjective thirteenth-century fresco layer on the lower part of his body and the overlying fourteenth-century fresco layer on the upper part. Therefore, the fresco dated to the re-painting programme of the fourteenth-century follows the stylistic tradition of the former. However, the red background of the former fresco layer was not adopted by the overlying fresco. It has a blue background just to be harmonised with the rest of the frescoes of the central nave. Peter is depicted facing to the left, blessing with his right hand, holding an open scroll in the left hand and is dressed in a grey chiton and pink himation. The garments of Paul are long enough to touch his feet and are painted over the bottom frame.
Apostle Peter is painted on the south respond of the western transverse arch of the western bay while Saint Paul is located opposite on the north respond. The respond was placed as a reinforcement during alterations took place in the thirteenth century, covering the original frescoes of the twelfth century. An important detail is that these may be executed during the same time as the Virgin and the frescoes on the triumphal arch of the apse, but not by the same hand. What is visible today is the standing figure of Peter, which consists of the subjective thirteenth-century fresco layer on the lower part of his body and the overlying fourteenth-century fresco layer on the upper part. Therefore, the fresco dated to the re-painting programme of the fourteenth-century follows the stylistic tradition of the former fresco layer. He is depicted facing to the right, blessing with his right hand and holding an open scroll in the left hand. He is dressed in a grey chiton and ocher himation on a red background on the former fresco layer. The overlying fresco has a blue background. The garments of Peter are long enough to touch his feet, which are painted over the bottom frame. Behind the respond of Saint Peter, there is still visible a small part of a figure dating to the initial twelfth-century painting. The figure bears a crown and thick, brown hair indicating a young man, therefore not Peter. Thus the thirteenth-century layer does not seem to follow the original depiction. The most likely scenario suggests that the painter or painters adopted a novel trend, Peter and Paul placed across the naos and facing each other, which arose in the period between the twelfth and the late thirteenth-century. The first appearance of this scheme is to be found in the church of Saint Nicholas of the Roof at Lagoudera, and in the almost contemporary to Asinou, church of Christ Antiphonetes at Kalogrea.
Traditionally in the composition of the Last Judgement, Apostles adjoin Christ the Judge alongside with Virgin and John the Baptist but at Asinu a deviation is attested. The Apostles are dispersed to the four pendentives of the sail vault of the narthex in groups of three. On the NorthEast pendentive the Apostles Simon, James and Philip are depicted, on the SouthEast pendentive the Apostles Peter, Paul and Luke are shown, on the SouthWest pendentive the Apostles Matthew, Mark and John are situated and on the NorthWest pendentive the Apostles Andrew, Thomas and Bartholomew. They are enthroned ready to judge the twelve tribes of Israel on the Day of Judgement as part of the Heavenly Court. Regarding the figures, a cohesion is embedded through colour, design, gestures and postures of the Apostles.
Archangel Michael flanks the eastern side of the northern door of the narthex. He is a popular figure among the Orthodox people, even today. His depiction stands out from the representations of the other holy figures in the narthex. He is pictured wearing imperial uniform and stands on a cushion. He holds a staff, the lower end of which forms a lance and its upper end reminisces a sceptre in the form of a double lily. Loros, the wrapped scarf around Michael’s body, seems adjoined with the lower decorated edge of his tunic. On the left side of the figure, a large spot on the present layer has been destroyed. Thus, the subject layer was revealed, attesting that again the figure of Archangel Michael was depicted on the exact same position, although in a larger scale. Analyses carried out in the subjected layer prove that this layer was painted not long before the layer of 1332 A.D. . Therefore, it is legitimate to assume that the earlier representation might be an ex-voto from a particular donor. Michael’s duties, as well as those of other archangels and angels, range between being God’s servant assisting him constantly in heaven and spreading His will to humans. Other duties include the protection of the faithful from Satan and also protecting churches. Thus the placement of the figure of Michael in churches is strategic. He is placed either in the narthex as at Asinou or close to or facing the entrance doors. Additionally he is connected to the dead as a companion of souls to Hades. Lastly, it is believed that Archangel Michael functions as an arbitrator between humankind and God. Several hymns ask for his contribution to the salvation of the souls of the deceased and pictography represents archangels participating in the Last Judgement, as in the vault of the narthex at Asinou. Therefore, he is a figure matching perfectly the iconographic program of the narthex.
Painted on the vault over the bema, the fragmentary Ascension shows Jesus Christ in a round mandorla with four angels flanking him.