The Representation of St. Barbarus of Pelagonia in the Narthex of Kremikovtzi Monastery Cover Image
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Образът на св. Варвар Пелагонийски в притвора на църквата в Кремиковския манастир
The Representation of St. Barbarus of Pelagonia in the Narthex of Kremikovtzi Monastery

Author(s): Tsveta Valeva
Subject(s): Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Visual Arts
Published by: Кирило-Методиевски научен център при Българска академия на науките

Summary/Abstract: The representation of St. Barbarus in the narthex of Kremikovtzi Monastery (1493) is painted in the register of the most prominent founding fathers of the orthodox monastic tradition and it was discovered during the restoration of the church in 2000. There is only one other representation of its kind among the monumental paintings of the Bulgarian lands and it is to be found in Dragalevtzi Monastery (1476). The earliest representations of St. Barbarus date from the middle of the 14th century. In the monuments belonging to the Byzantine tradition he is represented as a martyr and hermit, but not as a martial saint. The few preserved examples are predominantly from territories in the diocese of the Ohrid archbishopry since the representation of St. Barbarus is an element of the repertoire of the Zographic groups from the art centers in these areas. The representation of St Barbarus from the narthex of Kremikovtzi monastery is unique since it renders the saint as a monk and myrobleptes, not as a hermit. The textual basis of the representation is the full vita of St. Barbarus of Pelagonia which is dated to the 60s of the 14th century and was probably written by a member of the Turnovo hagiographic school. The complex concept of the representation is due to the preference of the church donors – most probably bishop Calevithe of Sofia.

  • Issue Year: 2005
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 49-64
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Bulgarian