The artists make visible attempts to depict the shades and volume. Some typical features of the Gondar style include an uncoloured background, clear boundaries of the images, painted in black lines, and the use of elementary colours (mostly yellow, green, red or blue). The illustrations depict the Lord, and the Archangel performing the miracles. Some notable representatives of the school that have survived to this day are 49 colourful illustrations to a manuscript on the miracles of Archangel Michael with liturgical readings. The 17th-century works of the school of Gondar (the seat of the Ethiopian emperor and government) are remarkable examples of the Ethiopian tradition of church art. The Mother of God is commemorated 33 times in the liturgical year and is depicted in the majority of the icons. In Ethiopia, there is a strong tradition of venerating the Theotokos. Three-tablet icon, Hamill Gallery Folding icon. Smaller wearable versions of two-tablet icons were available. Many icons were created as double or triple tablets, connected physically and thematically. The Ethiopian iconographic style – distinct among the other traditions of Christian iconography – was thus established. The ruling emperor Zara Jacob had just learned about the tradition of the veneration of the icons and mandated universal adoration of the Theotokos and display of her icons in worship services and popular feasts. The rise of the iconographic school in Ethiopia occurred in the late middle ages, at around the 15th century. Nativity and the pilgrimage of the Magi Illustrated Gospel, 14th century The central figure shows a page from the gospel. Abyssinian art is known for its simplicity of colour and design. The first Abyssinian artists copied these richly illustrated books and replicated the depictions of the biblical stories in their distinct style. The ancient manuscripts were brought from Palestine and Greece. The first examples of the Ethiopian tradition of church art were the illustrated gospels, translated into the local language approximately in the 6th century. George Coptic Church, Alexandria Neo-Coptic icon of the Flight into Egypt by Stéphane René. Icon of the Virgin by Isaac Fanous, circa 1970. Works by Yuhanna Al-Armani, 18th century.įrom the mid-1960 the Coptic traditions of iconography were succeeded by the neo-Coptic school. His works feature some advanced techniques and innovative approaches, such as the use of several storylines in a single narration. One of the best-known church artists of the time was Yuhanna al-Armani. Coptic icons inscribed in ArabicĬoptic Christianity and the practice of venerating the icons resumed from the mid-18th century. The Arab conquest of Egypt in the 7th century impacted the iconographic tradition, while the near-universal adoption of Islam in Egypt interrupted it for many centuries. Not surprisingly, the flight into Egypt was the most common biblical story depicted in the icons. This feature is also common to many old Ethiopian icons. The saints depicted in the icons do not look at the viewer, but beyond and past him. Large eyes, clear lines, sharp edges, joy-filled and peaceful faces of the saints, the air of innocence and child-like features of the images are some of their hallmarks.Ĭhrist and St. Many Coptic Christians believe that iconography originates from Egypt, and refer to visible similarities of the iconographic canon with Ancient Egyptian artworks.Ĭharacteristic features of the Coptic style are visible in the icons dating back to as early as the fourth century. Coptic iconsĬoptic church art was greatly influenced by the art of ancient Egypt, with some input from the old Hebrew and Greek painting schools. In general, Christian church art in Africa was shaped by the traditions of the early Coptic Church of Egypt, and the church history of ancient Abyssinia and Ethiopia. The isolated conditions of Ethiopia were highly conducive to the formation of a distinct Abyssinian painting and iconographic tradition. They were also living amid Muslims, and nearly all converted to Islam by the 7th century. The Christians of nearby Egypt were in a different situation: they were far more open to historical upheavals and religious developments, and their churches were built along key caravan routes to Palestine and beyond. Ethiopia’s location in mountainous and hard-to-reach terrain limited external influences on its church art. Its Christians have preserved their Orthodox faith despite countless attacks from the Muslims and Western colonization. For a long time, Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) remained a center of Christianity, after adopting it as the official religion in 330. It was preached in this part of the world by three apostles: Philip, Matthew, and Mark. Christianity came to Africa as early as in the 1st century after Christ.
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