Page 89 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 12(2) (2024)

writings articulate a subtle mystical connection the trapezas of the Holy Mountain (Mercier
between architecture and nature as he endeavors 1933, 374). 11
to revive the Byzantine spirituality that Athos Despite their limited visibility—given that
embodies. Athonite churches are seldom open outside of
The didactic nature of the frescoes in the re- service hours and exist in the subdued light of
fectory of the Serbian monastery of Chilandari candles—the frescoes significantly impact the
indicates an emerging interest in the dogmat- narratives of the viaticum, enriching the viewer’s
ic significance of these paintings. However, this spiritual experience.
interest does not fully engage with the concept The frescoes of the Byzantine monaster-
of an iconographic program, a topic previous- ies have captured the attention of the archaeol-
ly explored by the eminent Byzantinist Gabri- ogist Adolphe-Napoleon Didron (1806–1867),
el Millet in his seminal work, Researches on the who enthusiastically discusses them. Exam-
Iconography of the Gospel. Nonetheless, Merci- ining the frescoes at the monastery of Esphig- 89
er’s analysis reinforces a Western perspective on ménou, Didron addresses the theme of imperi-
Byzantine fresco painting while acknowledging al patronage, notably the representations of the
the pivotal role of the Virgin Mary, the Moth- imperial couple, Theodore and Pulcheria. These
er of God, as the protector of Athos and its sa- figures pay homage to the work of an iconogra-
cred spaces. pher, whose contributions to the church in 1810
Mercier describes the trapeza, or refecto- led to the discovery of the ‘Guide to painting’
ry, as ‘entirely populated by eloquent and naive (Didron 1845). Didron published a French edi-
paintings that inspire the imagination.’ tion of this work in 1845, dedicating it to Victor
‘This trapeza, itself entirely populated by el- Hugo, while contemporaneously, the palaeogra-
oquent and naive paintings, which inspire the pher Miller lamented the recent restorations at
imagination. These lively compositions must Iviron. Thus, the frescoes evoke a dual response
undoubtedly be attributed to the 14th century. of attraction and repulsion. Approximately two
In the curve of the apse is the Eucharistic Sup- hundred and forty years later, the French writer
per, the supreme meal, where Christ, as an in- of Russian descent, Jean Blot (Alexandre Blokh, Perceptions of a ‘Journey to the Past’ in Some Viatical Stories at Mount Athos
heritance, leaves below the bread of angels to 1923–2019), visited Lavra and remarked on the
the humble humanity he is preparing to leave. restoration of certain frescoes with a less favour-
Above this large motif, whose traditional tex- able perspective:
ture is flexible, here is the Annunciation: on the 11 ‘Cette trapéza elle-même est entièrement peuplée de pein-
right, Mary the Immaculate Virgin, and on the tures éloquentes et naïves, qui portent l’imagination vers
left, the angel Gabriel, all radiant with celestial ses sources lointaines. C’est au XIVe siècle qu’il faut at-
tribuer sans doute ces vives compositions. Dans la courbe
glories. Elsewhere, Solomon is in the palace tow- de l’abside, voici la cène eucharistique, repas suprême, où
er, and the Virgin is kneeling near another tow- Christ, en héritage, laisse ici-bas le pain des anges à l’hum-
ble humanité qu’il s’apprête à quitter. Au-dessus de ce
er where Isaiah and David reign because the ca- grand motif, dont la texture traditionnelle ne va pas sans
reer of the Theotokos will take place on the souplesse, voilà l’Annonciation: à droite, Marie la Vierge
immaculée, à gauche, l’ange Gabriel tout rayonnant des
walls. And these walls, in a word, have drunk gloires célestes. C’est d’ailleurs Salomon dans la tour d’un
all the colours and all the poetry of the sacred palais, et la Vierge agenouillée auprès d’une autre tour où
règnent Isaïe et David; car la carrière de la Théotokos va
Scriptures, so much so that in these cascades of se dérouler sur les parois. Et ces murs en un mot ont bu
effusive allegories of the divine Testaments, the toutes les couleurs et toute la poésie des Écritures sacrées,
si bien que ces cascades d’allégories effuses des Testaments
prophetic vision of Jacob’s Ladder appears only divins, la vision prophétique de l’Echelle de Jacob ne fig-
a trait of no longer between heaven and earth. ure qu’un trait de plus entre le ciel et la terre. Ce réfectoire
présente au reste les formes habituelles des trapézas de la
This refectory also presents the usual shapes of Sainte Montagne.’