Art

Byzantine Art and Architecture flourished during the Middle Ages (5th-14th century AD) under the aegis of the Eastern Roman Empire. The predominant theme visible in their art and architecture was the Christian religion rendered in iconographic detail. According to Otto Demus, a continuous theme existed between the artistic images, the architectural design of the church and the beholder. (1)

Two byzantine frescoes originally located at a chapel in Lysi, Cyprus during ca. 1150-1300 were restored to perfection by the Menil Foundation.  The frescoes are of Christ as the Pantocrator and the Virgin Mary with Archangels Gabriel and Michael. Christ as the Pantocrator or Ruler of All, is an image of Christ visible mostly in Byzantine churches, as it echoes the belief held by the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is regarded as the Eternal Judge.

In this fresco, Christ is found in the centre, with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand holding a book of Gospel. Two of his fingers of his right hand are touching, representing the human and divine sides of Christ and his death on the cross. The red and blue colors of his cape also represent the duality of his nature. The halo around his head has a cross within signifying sanctification. (Nes 23) The image is encircled by two circles in which the angels are seen moving along both sides of the circle. They are being led on one side by Holy Mother and on the other by John the Baptist towards the throne. The throne in turn is being held by a pair of cherubims. According to Nes, in some early church tradition, Holy Mother and John the Baptist are considered to be very close to Christ in his earthly life and may have special functions like acting as intercessor to man. (26) And the cherubims who are holding the throne are considered as the guardians of Paradise. (Chisholm 86)

The other fresco of Virgin Mary is seen with Archangel Michael on one side and Archangel Gabriel on the other. The Virgin Mary is seen with her hands raised, characteristic of Orans, with Christ visible on her chest in a small circle. This is regarded as the Icon of sign, where Virgin Mary is represented as the chosen one to bring the Son of God to earth. The two archangels by her side signify her position as being above the angels (Ouspensky and Lossky 77)

One of the unique achievements of middle byzantine art states Demus was to combine several pictures together and establish a relation amongst each other and to the complete image. The images of Christ, Virgin Mary, Apostles and Angels are arranged in hierarchical order and they are shown connected to the byzantine theology and the organization and rituals of the church. (2) The images in order to maintain coherence are painted on curved surfaces, so that the images are frontal to the beholder and at the same time face each other.  Thus the physical space between the images becomes incorporated into the image. (Demus 6) Christ as the Pantocrator was one of the three themes usually used for the cupola during the middle byzantine period. (Demus 10)

In Byzantine art and architecture there are three symbolic interpretations to the church building. First is the image of the building showing heaven, the Holy Land and the terrestrial land in a hierarchical order.  Second is the similarity of the building to all the places visited by Christ and third is the similarity to the Christian calendar and the festival of the feasts. (Demus 9)

Any byzantine church is dominated by a cupola which represents heaven. The cupola is found above the cross shaped transepts which lead down to form a square with the help of lower vaults. Three apses join the square in the east and a hall is found to the west. The apse represent the Holy land and the lower vaults the terrestrial. (Demus 7, 8) The cupola in the building is a circle which shows neither aim nor direction, symbolic to the way Byzantines represented time. (Demus 9)

In the Menil chapel, the cupola and the apse are placed in relation to each other with the cupola on a higher plane and the apse occupying what would be the lower square. The entire chapel is made of glass panels and imparts a sense of weightlessness and light in keeping with the hanging architecture of the byzantines. In the byzantine architectural style, the pillars are likened to hanging roots rather than as support for walls. This is in harmony with the hierarchical order of a series of images descending from the supreme archetype. (Demus 8)

The frescoes are also placed in keeping with the hierarchical order with any image placed at the highest point considered the most sacred. In the Menil chapel, the Christ as Pantocrator is placed in the cupola and thus representing heaven and with Christ looking down at his beholders. In the apse is present the fresco of Virgin Mary (Icon of the Sign), thus representing Holy Land through the Life of Christ. In byzantine churches the terrestrial land is usually symbolized by single images of saints representing the festival of feasts arranged in a circle and priests on the lower walls. (Demus 10, 11) In essence the building space was also considered part of the icon, where it enfolded the beholder to witness and participate in heavenly events. The icons were made venerable to the beholder by their frontal position and three fourth views. By contemplating on the icons, the beholder would have conducted his symbolic pilgrimage to the holy land. (Demus 9)
Thus through the Menil chapel, frescoes of middle Byzantine era are displayed within a sacred space that allows the beholder to commune with the icons directly. The connecting thread from the byzantine era of utilizing the icons, the building and the beholder to enhance the spiritual experience has been reproduced effectively.