**2.4. Martyrs**

**2.3. Bishops**

24 Perception of Beauty

and beards.

The category of bishops encompasses the respected individuals that, at certain times, occupied the Episcopal centers of the orthodox world as the most renowned representatives of the Christian faith. Intellectuals and scholars, preachers and orators, the bishops were represented as noble, experienced and erudite leaders of the congregation. Well-educated and ennobled with essential wisdom, passionately devoted to theological disputes, and highly creative in the sphere of religious thought and scripts, the bishops were marked by visual traits of devoted missionaries, enduring teachers, and honorable advisers of the faithful. Venerated and admired, esteemed and followed by the believers, the great church fathers of the Orthodoxy were represented in a manner that reflected their exclusive religious status as the most respected leaders of the Christian institution, as well as members of the highest ecclesiastic entourage. In that regard, their facial features are composed with an enhanced anatomic approach that encompasses the wrinkles and ridges to display the golden age of their sophisticated spiritual wisdom. Elderly and mature, solemn and suggestive, aged and bearded, the bishops' images glow with the warm sparkles of religious experience. Their facial expression is calm, yet inviting, strict yet consolatory; the suggestive gaze of the eyes as a primary feature of their facial articulation matches the fervent and ever-watchful nature of their religious devotion. Noble and generous, convincing, serene, and compassionate, the bishops' images radiate with inner composure and soothing energy. Similarly, their corporal appearance is imposing and monumental, elegant and dignified, thus they look as colossal pillars of the architectural structure of the church institution. Represented in postures of full frontal stature when depicted as portraits or in three-quarter processional poses when shown as members of the Officiating liturgical service, their figures are imposingly ceremonial in motion, delicately vibrant, and ritualistic, determined by the harmonious and well-balanced rhythm of their movements. Charged with the sophisticated power of their inner spiritual energy, the bishops move slowly and gracefully, blessing the faithful from the walls of the edifice or performing the church rituals in the sanctuary. Depicted with voluminous facial shapes and saturated in colors, the bishops' images are permeated with the energetic expression of deep emotional charge. In regard to the colors, the respectable leaders of the church communities have the following nuances of the spectrum: pale ochre for the tan, warm brown for the wrinkles, auburn for the ridges, greenish for the shades, and snowy white for their hairs

From the rigorous and almost remorseless facial outlook of Ravenna's archbishop Maximianus (548) depicted as a member of Emperor Justinian's retinue in San Vitale [22] to the formally configured peacefulness on the images of Serbian archpriests (second half of the sixteenth century) represented in the narthex of the Patriarchate in Peć [23], there is a vast palette of facial expressions that can be seen within bishops' portraiture. It is of course due to the different approach of the painters to the artistic currents of different time periods, as well as the intention of the authors to depict the church individuals in regard to their historical status and ecclesiastic privileges. However, the physical look of the bishops has always reflected a type of beauty compulsorily related to maturity and generosity, as primary aspect of their spiritual personality. In that regard, we can point to the imposing serenity of the countenances and the mild configuration of the facial patina of St. Basil the Great and St. Nicholas (second half of the tenth century) in the painted ensemble of Agioi Anargyroi in Kastoria [24], as well as to the noble composure of the The category of martyrs includes those who have suffered a tragic death due to their religious determination, usually in the earliest times of Christianity. They have proudly sacrificed themselves for the common ideological cause and were put to many tortures resulting in glorious

**Figure 4.** The church of the Virgin Peribleptos in Ohrid, St. Clement of Ohrid.

and memorable death. After being celebrated as the most courageous followers of Christ who have never renounced their faith in spite of the unbearable torments, the martyrs came to be associated with the bravest devotion to Christianity and were considered as the most stable columns of Christian dedication. Suffering at the hands of pagan emperors and governments at a relatively young age, the martyrs were looked upon as uncompromising devotees sacrificed at the altar of salvation in the dawn of the Christian epoch. Thence, their physical appearance should reflect the youthful energy and the resolute determination encompassed by their dignified, as well as resilient outlook. Due to the courageous character that led them into voluntary death, the facial features of the martyr saints are composed of mild curvatures, serene architectural lines, and saturated palette of colors. Young and vibrant, strong and resistant, the portraits of the martyrs reflect their inner strength, spiritual power, and ideological energy. That is why their facial expression is always an expression of willingness and capacity, resilience and bravery. Proud and insolent, bold and adamant, the martyrs are pictured with accentuated vividness of the facial configuration reflecting the inner fount of inflamed spirituality. In regard to the corporal appearance, the martyrs display a variety of different typological features. However, the anatomy of their bodies is always elaborated nicely, showing a great deal of unrestrained muscular construction due to the youthful age and the physical strength of the manly figures. The postures are marked by an underlined elegance and are usually frontal in the projection, but scenic due to the lively rhythm of the corporeal motion. The martyrs are represented in the full outburst of their carnal energy, manifested through a distinctive range of remarkable stances and accentuated figural gestures. Given an energetic charge of elastic movements of the bodies and resolute gestures of the upper extremities, the martyr saints are pictured with hands in a pose of blessing or in a stance of a devoted prayer. Depicted in various costumes that denote their diverse social statuses—from modest clothing to luxuriously ornamented garments, the martyr saints are the class of sacral personages with the most heterogeneous costumes in the history of the Byzantine painting. That can also refer to the chromatic range of the palette applied to their faces and figures; the glowing ochre and the crystal ecru for the tans, the warm auburn and the deep chestnut for the hairs and beards, as well as Pink rose for the cheeks and light gray for the shades are the most common colors for the depiction of martyrs' portraits.

Starting from the first ever depicted procession of martyrs dressed in ceremonially white garments in Ravenna's Sant'Apollinare Nuovo (556–569) [26] and closing with the picturesque row of ritually lined up characters in the paraclession of St. George in the Hilandar monastery on Mount Athos (second half of the seventeenth century) [27], the Byzantine art has left a multitude of remarkable specimens of martyrs' images. Among them, one should mention the illustrative and highly picturesque portraits of the ones who suffered their martyrdom in the time of Emperor Julian the Apostate, depicted in the church dedicated to the Tiberiopolean martyrs in Strumica, Macedonia (turn of the tenth century) [28], as well as the gentle, aristocratic and almost poetic representation of St. Christopher holding a martyr cross in the fresco ensemble of the church of St. George in Omorphoklissia in Greece (end of the thirteenth century [29]. Another portrait of St. Christopher painted almost at the same time in the Petrova crkva in Ras (Serbia) displays quite different characteristic; although solemn in stature and elegant in the posture, the martyr represented in the Serbian temple is marked by a decisive gaze of the eyes and a firm psychological attitude of his resilient gesture [30]. However, in the range of the numerous martyr portraits preserved in the fresco decoration of Byzantine temples, we have to acknowledge the outstanding spiritual composure of the image of St. Jacob the Persian from the church of St. George in Staro Nagoričino in Macedonia (1317–1318) (**Figure 5**), one of the most exceptional examples of sophisticated approach to the configuration of a medieval saintly image. Handsome and exotic, firm and corpulent, St. Jacob the martyr is depicted with a perfect oval of his facial appearance, darkish tan, and a tamed hairdo, appropriate to his oriental origin. Dressed in a lavishly decorated cloak ornamented with rich and colorful embroidery, this image of St. Jacob reflects the affluent courtly position he once held at his home country. Chromatically saturated with pastel colors: olive for the tan, hazel-greenish for the facial shades, nut-brown for the hair, and warm brown for the garment, St. Jacob the Persian, exotically represented as a noble and dignified oriental individual, can be encountered among the most "attractive" martyrs of the Byzantine painterly culture of the fourteenth century.

#### **2.5. Holy healers**

and memorable death. After being celebrated as the most courageous followers of Christ who have never renounced their faith in spite of the unbearable torments, the martyrs came to be associated with the bravest devotion to Christianity and were considered as the most stable columns of Christian dedication. Suffering at the hands of pagan emperors and governments at a relatively young age, the martyrs were looked upon as uncompromising devotees sacrificed at the altar of salvation in the dawn of the Christian epoch. Thence, their physical appearance should reflect the youthful energy and the resolute determination encompassed by their dignified, as well as resilient outlook. Due to the courageous character that led them into voluntary death, the facial features of the martyr saints are composed of mild curvatures, serene architectural lines, and saturated palette of colors. Young and vibrant, strong and resistant, the portraits of the martyrs reflect their inner strength, spiritual power, and ideological energy. That is why their facial expression is always an expression of willingness and capacity, resilience and bravery. Proud and insolent, bold and adamant, the martyrs are pictured with accentuated vividness of the facial configuration reflecting the inner fount of inflamed spirituality. In regard to the corporal appearance, the martyrs display a variety of different typological features. However, the anatomy of their bodies is always elaborated nicely, showing a great deal of unrestrained muscular construction due to the youthful age and the physical strength of the manly figures. The postures are marked by an underlined elegance and are usually frontal in the projection, but scenic due to the lively rhythm of the corporeal motion. The martyrs are represented in the full outburst of their carnal energy, manifested through a distinctive range of remarkable stances and accentuated figural gestures. Given an energetic charge of elastic movements of the bodies and resolute gestures of the upper extremities, the martyr saints are pictured with hands in a pose of blessing or in a stance of a devoted prayer. Depicted in various costumes that denote their diverse social statuses—from modest clothing to luxuriously ornamented garments, the martyr saints are the class of sacral personages with the most heterogeneous costumes in the history of the Byzantine painting. That can also refer to the chromatic range of the palette applied to their faces and figures; the glowing ochre and the crystal ecru for the tans, the warm auburn and the deep chestnut for the hairs and beards, as well as Pink rose for the cheeks and light gray for the shades are the most common colors for the depiction

Starting from the first ever depicted procession of martyrs dressed in ceremonially white garments in Ravenna's Sant'Apollinare Nuovo (556–569) [26] and closing with the picturesque row of ritually lined up characters in the paraclession of St. George in the Hilandar monastery on Mount Athos (second half of the seventeenth century) [27], the Byzantine art has left a multitude of remarkable specimens of martyrs' images. Among them, one should mention the illustrative and highly picturesque portraits of the ones who suffered their martyrdom in the time of Emperor Julian the Apostate, depicted in the church dedicated to the Tiberiopolean martyrs in Strumica, Macedonia (turn of the tenth century) [28], as well as the gentle, aristocratic and almost poetic representation of St. Christopher holding a martyr cross in the fresco ensemble of the church of St. George in Omorphoklissia in Greece (end of the thirteenth century [29]. Another portrait of St. Christopher painted almost at the same time in the Petrova crkva in Ras (Serbia) displays quite different characteristic; although solemn in stature and elegant in the posture, the martyr represented in the Serbian temple is marked by a decisive gaze of the eyes and a firm psychological attitude of his resilient gesture [30].

of martyrs' portraits.

26 Perception of Beauty

The category of Holy healers encompasses several saintly characters who appear as true symbols of physical and spiritual health. Although the brothers Sts. Kosmas and Damian, as well as the most venerated by the congregation—St. Panteleimon, were the most frequently represented

**Figure 5.** The church of St. George at Staro Nagoričino, St. Jacob the Persian.

physicians within the painted ensembles of Byzantine churches; other representatives of this category (St. Kyros, St. Luke the Surgeon, St. John, St. Sampson, etc.) also appear in the fresco decoration of sacral edifices throughout the medieval epoch. Performing the noble duties of physical and psychological healing of the pure and underprivileged, helping the sick and the mentally unstable, assisting the ones suffering from diseases, and comforting the weak and the fragile, the holy physicians have gained the admiration of the believers due to their benevolent activities and humanistic approach. Committed to the beneficial tasks of medication and dedicating their lives to mastering the curative skills, the holy healers gained the respect of distinctive members of the Christian society on the ground of their professional devotion, as well as their humane determination. Picturing the charitable Christian virtues and symbolizing the health care given to the people wholeheartedly, the *anargyroi* received the attentive outlook of young and determined, noble and alert, dignified, and tender characters. In that regard, their facial features are young, fresh, and vigilant, permeated with a suggestive facial energy and illuminative strength. Facial ovals, almond-shaped eyes, bushy hairs, and beardless countenances are the most frequent characteristics of the saintly category dedicated to the noble spheres of practical medicine. Since the faces are youthful and full of inner vitality, the facial expression of the physicians is always attentive, watchful, and responsive, radiating the noble energy of their vigorous humanistic determination. Their corporal appearance is also energetic, vivacious, and decisive, while the postures are always fully frontal and firmly configured. Equipped with medical instruments and a box of curative potions and lotions, as a distinctive emblem of the many successful treatments they have performed gladly, the holy healers are always depicted in stable and dignified poses, ennobled with careful and gentle motions, appropriate to their responsible and reliable occupation. Wearing traditional garments adequate to their social status and affiliation, the physicians usually occupy some of the most noticeable places in the spatial organization of church decorations.

Among the most remarkable specimens of painterly images of the holy physician saints, one has to mention the portrait of St. Panteleimon depicted at the end of the eleventh century in the fresco ensemble of the church dedicated to the Holy Mother of God in Veljusa [31]. The holy physician in Veljusa is depicted with a mild facial oval, almond-shaped eyes, basket-like hair style, gentle facial expression, and a massive, muscular corpus, all reflecting the full-blooded, yet affectionate humanistic determination of the medicine man. The gentle composure of the portrait, softly modeled with mild curvatures and toned anatomic components of the same saint represented in the ensemble of the church dedicated to St. Panteleimon at Nerezi, Macedonia (ca. 1166) makes it even more amazing (**Figures 6**, **7**). Depicted with fair complexion, luscious facial anatomy, elegant hairdo, and generous expression, the image of St. Panteleimon in the Nerezi church emanates a strong psychological determination visualized through the large almond-shaped eyes and the resolute glance. Similarly, the neat image of St. Panteleimon in the church of St. George at Kurbinovo (1191) [32] is dressed in luxurious cloak ornamented with embroidery, while his "colleagues," Sts. Kosmas and Damian are dressed more modestly, but are represented with the same decisive and determinant attitude, as their fashionably clothed companion. Usually depicted as representatives of the category of the holy healers, this trio makes a small, but a respectable assembly of competent physicians wholeheartedly dedicated to their merciful occupation. That is the case with the depiction of St. Panteleimon flanked by Animae Pulchrae: Depiction of Saintly Images in Byzantine Mural Painting http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.69265 29

**Figure 6.** The church of St. Panteleimon at Nerezi, St. Panteleimon.

physicians within the painted ensembles of Byzantine churches; other representatives of this category (St. Kyros, St. Luke the Surgeon, St. John, St. Sampson, etc.) also appear in the fresco decoration of sacral edifices throughout the medieval epoch. Performing the noble duties of physical and psychological healing of the pure and underprivileged, helping the sick and the mentally unstable, assisting the ones suffering from diseases, and comforting the weak and the fragile, the holy physicians have gained the admiration of the believers due to their benevolent activities and humanistic approach. Committed to the beneficial tasks of medication and dedicating their lives to mastering the curative skills, the holy healers gained the respect of distinctive members of the Christian society on the ground of their professional devotion, as well as their humane determination. Picturing the charitable Christian virtues and symbolizing the health care given to the people wholeheartedly, the *anargyroi* received the attentive outlook of young and determined, noble and alert, dignified, and tender characters. In that regard, their facial features are young, fresh, and vigilant, permeated with a suggestive facial energy and illuminative strength. Facial ovals, almond-shaped eyes, bushy hairs, and beardless countenances are the most frequent characteristics of the saintly category dedicated to the noble spheres of practical medicine. Since the faces are youthful and full of inner vitality, the facial expression of the physicians is always attentive, watchful, and responsive, radiating the noble energy of their vigorous humanistic determination. Their corporal appearance is also energetic, vivacious, and decisive, while the postures are always fully frontal and firmly configured. Equipped with medical instruments and a box of curative potions and lotions, as a distinctive emblem of the many successful treatments they have performed gladly, the holy healers are always depicted in stable and dignified poses, ennobled with careful and gentle motions, appropriate to their responsible and reliable occupation. Wearing traditional garments adequate to their social status and affiliation, the physicians usually occupy some of the most noticeable places in the spatial

Among the most remarkable specimens of painterly images of the holy physician saints, one has to mention the portrait of St. Panteleimon depicted at the end of the eleventh century in the fresco ensemble of the church dedicated to the Holy Mother of God in Veljusa [31]. The holy physician in Veljusa is depicted with a mild facial oval, almond-shaped eyes, basket-like hair style, gentle facial expression, and a massive, muscular corpus, all reflecting the full-blooded, yet affectionate humanistic determination of the medicine man. The gentle composure of the portrait, softly modeled with mild curvatures and toned anatomic components of the same saint represented in the ensemble of the church dedicated to St. Panteleimon at Nerezi, Macedonia (ca. 1166) makes it even more amazing (**Figures 6**, **7**). Depicted with fair complexion, luscious facial anatomy, elegant hairdo, and generous expression, the image of St. Panteleimon in the Nerezi church emanates a strong psychological determination visualized through the large almond-shaped eyes and the resolute glance. Similarly, the neat image of St. Panteleimon in the church of St. George at Kurbinovo (1191) [32] is dressed in luxurious cloak ornamented with embroidery, while his "colleagues," Sts. Kosmas and Damian are dressed more modestly, but are represented with the same decisive and determinant attitude, as their fashionably clothed companion. Usually depicted as representatives of the category of the holy healers, this trio makes a small, but a respectable assembly of competent physicians wholeheartedly dedicated to their merciful occupation. That is the case with the depiction of St. Panteleimon flanked by

organization of church decorations.

28 Perception of Beauty

**Figure 7.** The church of St. Panteleimon at Nerezi, St. Panteleimon (detail).

St. Kosmas and St. Damian in the Ascension church in Žiča, Serbia (1315), where the saints are represented with slender corporal appearance, elegant motion, graceful postures, and gentle facial expression [33]. Articulating care and compassion, empathy and spontaneous affection, the three physicians from the Žiča monastery summarize the inner ethical nature and the external physical beauty of the holy healers in the most appropriate manner.

### **2.6. Holy warriors**

The category of the holy warriors, unavoidable in the painted decoration of the Byzantine temples, encompasses a dozen individuals who appear as the most athletic figures among the representatives of the saintly gallery. Due to their bravery, described in hagiographic texts, as well as the uncompromising nature of courageous fighters against the evil, the holy warriors received painterly features of masculine and vigorous outlook as a true match to the furious battles they have fought, to the celebrated victories they have won, and to the benevolent victims they have become in honor of the Christian faith. Therefore, their facial features are constructed vividly: the mild oval of the face refers to their youth, the plump cheeks and the rosy tan speak of their full-blooded energy, and the flashy eyes burn in the eternal fire of their physical, as well as spiritual supremacy. Their facial expression is adequate to the youthful countenances and the firm facial architecture they possess and encompasses a wide scale of different emotional reflections, mainly summarized in the references of bravery, self-confidence, commitment, and reliability. Being strong and courageous, adamant and irresistible, the holy warrior saints are depicted with firm corporal anatomy, elaborated boldly in details and represented with accentuated muscular anatomy of the figures. The enforced corporeality, stressed through the swaying poses of swaggering motion of the figures is the dominant element in conception of the warrior depictions which radiates with power and passion of their evident youth, obvious strength, and verified courage. Hence, the poses of the holy warriors are determined and ready for action, energetic and dynamic, abundant in kinetic mobility, and bursting with inexhaustible strength and inner potency. Superior and irrepressible, powerful and invincible, the warrior saints emanate the spicy sparkles of their potent energetic charge through different sets of motion that refer to their vivid temper and tireless nature. Dressed in lavishly assembled military costumes and proudly holding the spears, swords, and shields, that is their militant equipment, the holy warriors deserve the title of "officers and gentlemen" on the ground of their luxurious uniforms, their relentless attitudes, and, most of all, the power and passion of their struggling determination.

From the time of Early Christianity, when an exclusive image of Christ as a soldier, dressed in a militant attire was represented in the Archiepiscopal chapel in Ravenna (second decade of the sixth century) [34], the depictions of warrior saints have become frequent enough to be unavoidable in the decorative ensembles of the Byzantine era. However, the most remarkable warrior characters can be detected in the painted arrangements of the Middle Byzantine and Late Byzantine period—starting with the imposingly presentable and vigorously self-assured image of St. Demetrius in the church of St. Archangel Michael in Kiev (beginning of the twelfth century) [35], as well as the irresistibly handsome depictions of St. Theodore Stratelates and St. Merkurios from the fresco arrangement of the church of Panagia Kosmosotira in Pherres (after 1152) [36], portrayed in a full masculine bloom and fashionably luxurious military array. A decade later, the warrior saints in the church of St. Panteleimon at Nerezi manifest a firm martial attitude and a thick charge of kinetic energy [37], while the figures of St. George and St. Demetrios from the church of Agioi Anargyroi in Kastoria (ca. 1180) fascinate with the noble facial expressions, elaborated corporeality, and glamorous ornamentation of their lavishly assembled uniforms (**Figure 8**). In the fresco painting of the church of Virgin Peribleptos in Ohrid (1295), the warrior saints gained larger-than-life dimensions of ruthless fighters against evil [38], while in the church of St. George at Staro Nagoričino (1317–1318), Christ's soldiers were depicted in elegant and dignified poses glowing with inner spiritual charm and a chivalrous gallantry [39]. Also, the luscious facial oval, the soft and gentle nuances of the tan, the alluring eyes and the stylish hairdo of the patron saint in the St. Nichetas church at Banjani (1323–1324), as well as his vainly good-looking figure, occupy one of the main places in the "department" of saintly beauty in the art of the fourteenth century [40]. Similarly, the holy warriors depicted within the fresco ensemble of the Dečani monastery in Serbia (1347–1348) display a number of playful poses and a wide scale of dynamic motions of their energetic and warm-blooded nature [41]. Beautiful and

St. Kosmas and St. Damian in the Ascension church in Žiča, Serbia (1315), where the saints are represented with slender corporal appearance, elegant motion, graceful postures, and gentle facial expression [33]. Articulating care and compassion, empathy and spontaneous affection, the three physicians from the Žiča monastery summarize the inner ethical nature and the exter-

The category of the holy warriors, unavoidable in the painted decoration of the Byzantine temples, encompasses a dozen individuals who appear as the most athletic figures among the representatives of the saintly gallery. Due to their bravery, described in hagiographic texts, as well as the uncompromising nature of courageous fighters against the evil, the holy warriors received painterly features of masculine and vigorous outlook as a true match to the furious battles they have fought, to the celebrated victories they have won, and to the benevolent victims they have become in honor of the Christian faith. Therefore, their facial features are constructed vividly: the mild oval of the face refers to their youth, the plump cheeks and the rosy tan speak of their full-blooded energy, and the flashy eyes burn in the eternal fire of their physical, as well as spiritual supremacy. Their facial expression is adequate to the youthful countenances and the firm facial architecture they possess and encompasses a wide scale of different emotional reflections, mainly summarized in the references of bravery, self-confidence, commitment, and reliability. Being strong and courageous, adamant and irresistible, the holy warrior saints are depicted with firm corporal anatomy, elaborated boldly in details and represented with accentuated muscular anatomy of the figures. The enforced corporeality, stressed through the swaying poses of swaggering motion of the figures is the dominant element in conception of the warrior depictions which radiates with power and passion of their evident youth, obvious strength, and verified courage. Hence, the poses of the holy warriors are determined and ready for action, energetic and dynamic, abundant in kinetic mobility, and bursting with inexhaustible strength and inner potency. Superior and irrepressible, powerful and invincible, the warrior saints emanate the spicy sparkles of their potent energetic charge through different sets of motion that refer to their vivid temper and tireless nature. Dressed in lavishly assembled military costumes and proudly holding the spears, swords, and shields, that is their militant equipment, the holy warriors deserve the title of "officers and gentlemen" on the ground of their luxurious uniforms, their relentless attitudes,

nal physical beauty of the holy healers in the most appropriate manner.

and, most of all, the power and passion of their struggling determination.

From the time of Early Christianity, when an exclusive image of Christ as a soldier, dressed in a militant attire was represented in the Archiepiscopal chapel in Ravenna (second decade of the sixth century) [34], the depictions of warrior saints have become frequent enough to be unavoidable in the decorative ensembles of the Byzantine era. However, the most remarkable warrior characters can be detected in the painted arrangements of the Middle Byzantine and Late Byzantine period—starting with the imposingly presentable and vigorously self-assured image of St. Demetrius in the church of St. Archangel Michael in Kiev (beginning of the twelfth century) [35], as well as the irresistibly handsome depictions of St. Theodore Stratelates and St. Merkurios from the fresco arrangement of the church of Panagia Kosmosotira in Pherres (after 1152) [36], portrayed in a full masculine bloom and fashionably luxurious military array. A decade later,

**2.6. Holy warriors**

30 Perception of Beauty

**Figure 8.** The church of Hagioi Anargyroi in Kastoria, St. George and St. Demetrios.

well trimmed, gentle in the expressions, and uncompromising in their temperament gestures, the soldiers depicted in the fresco decoration of Dečani can be compared to a company of heroic knights descended from the celestial spheres of Heaven.

#### **2.7. Hermits**

The category that encompasses the eremites is a very specific one since its members are the most radical devotees within the Christian "pantheon" of saints. Depicted ascetically and stripped to their natural, nude outlook as ultimate defenders of the purity of faith, the hermits are one of the most impressive class of saints due to their extremely expressive appearance. Pale and aged prematurely, wrinkled and darkened due to their permanent exposure to the severe climatic conditions and radical changes of the weather, these enduring zealots have gained features of sturdy and unwavering soldiers of the anchoritic army of determinate survivors. Living a life of benevolent refugees from civilized communities, the eremites represent the final border of human denial and self-torture in the name of the Christian faith. In that regard, they are represented with pale complexion of the faces and a wrinkled anatomy of the images as primary facial features of their exhausted countenances. The dark bags under the eyes, the yellowish color of the skin, the loose facial structure permeated with deep ridges, as well as the gray tone of the drained muscular lines are encompassed by the rude facial expression, "backed" in the hell-shaped oven of their physical self-torture. The dramatically suggestive gaze of the declined ocular portion of the faces, the dehydrated skin of the foreheads, the withered cheeks, the loose lips, and the snow-like hairs and beards can hardly fit in any category of physical beauty known to the artistic production of humanity. However, the expressive glow of their self-determination, the sophisticated sparkles of the long-term dedication to ascetism, as well as the supreme inner tranquility of their psychological profiles create an exclusive category of "attractiveness" that is much more spiritual than aesthetical. The same refers to their corporal appearance which is anorexic in the contours and rigid in the overall silhouette. Extremely skinny and malnourished, with declined strength and a minimum of corporal energy, the eremites display their everlasting restraint of all earthly pleasures and welfare benefits. Therefore, their postures are mainly static, expressing only the necessary motion for a prayer, a blessing, or a total devotion to religious ecstasy. However, a slight energetic charge of a kinetic outburst in the position of the praying hands has been given to the depiction of the eremites in order to expose their inner spiritual dedication and vigorous temptation. Dressed in garments made of rough fabrics, or much more often nude and covered with thick hair all over their bodies, the hermits are the most modest saintly characters in regard to their clothing.

Although the eremites appear in the painted decoration of the Byzantine monuments later than the rest of the saintly images, the Middle and the Late Byzantine period display a range of remarkable portraits of the representatives of this ascetic category. In that regard, the figure of St. Paul of Thebes dressed in a minimum-tailored garment and the image of St. Makarios of Egypt covered with fur-like hairs from the ossuary of the Bačkovo monastery in Bulgaria can be encountered among the most impressive eremitic portrayals created at the turn of the twelfth century [42]. No less attractive is the figure of St. Onuphrios from the fresco ensemble of the church dedicated to St. Archangel Michael in Prilep, Macedonia (ca. 1275) represented in a temperament motion of a prayer and covered with short, but thick "layer" of a costume-like hair (**Figure 9**), as well as the image of St. Peter the Athonite from the decorative program of Protaton on Mount Athos (1290) with an impressive, goldenochre tanned face and a fur coat made of human hairs (**Figure 10**). The next century brings a representative catalog of eremitic depictions, among which one has to point to the tall, slender, rude, and boney figures of the four hermitic saints depicted in the second level of the narthex of the St. Sophia cathedral in Ohrid (1345–1346) [43], as well as the matching saints represented in the narthex of the Holy Mother of God church in Matejče (1348–1352) [44]. The Matejče eremites, which are very similar to those depicted in the Ohrid cathedral, are the quintessential example of characteristic design of the four zealots (St. Barbaros, St. Peter the Athonite, St. Makarios of Egypt, and St. Arsenios), pictured together as a small assembly of pure devotees to ascetic Christianity. One also has to mention that in the case of Matejče, as a representative of the fourteenth century painting, the dress code of the eremites abandons the modest garments in favor of simple *perisomae* (depicted in different colors), but retains the specific carnal hair as the most "fashionable" way of clothing of the hermitic devotees. The frail faces, the white hairs, the impressively long beards and the short furry coats made of human hairs, altogether with the exhausted muscular bodily architecture are the traits of beauty inspired by the deepest and most secluded ascetic ideals.

well trimmed, gentle in the expressions, and uncompromising in their temperament gestures, the soldiers depicted in the fresco decoration of Dečani can be compared to a company of heroic

The category that encompasses the eremites is a very specific one since its members are the most radical devotees within the Christian "pantheon" of saints. Depicted ascetically and stripped to their natural, nude outlook as ultimate defenders of the purity of faith, the hermits are one of the most impressive class of saints due to their extremely expressive appearance. Pale and aged prematurely, wrinkled and darkened due to their permanent exposure to the severe climatic conditions and radical changes of the weather, these enduring zealots have gained features of sturdy and unwavering soldiers of the anchoritic army of determinate survivors. Living a life of benevolent refugees from civilized communities, the eremites represent the final border of human denial and self-torture in the name of the Christian faith. In that regard, they are represented with pale complexion of the faces and a wrinkled anatomy of the images as primary facial features of their exhausted countenances. The dark bags under the eyes, the yellowish color of the skin, the loose facial structure permeated with deep ridges, as well as the gray tone of the drained muscular lines are encompassed by the rude facial expression, "backed" in the hell-shaped oven of their physical self-torture. The dramatically suggestive gaze of the declined ocular portion of the faces, the dehydrated skin of the foreheads, the withered cheeks, the loose lips, and the snow-like hairs and beards can hardly fit in any category of physical beauty known to the artistic production of humanity. However, the expressive glow of their self-determination, the sophisticated sparkles of the long-term dedication to ascetism, as well as the supreme inner tranquility of their psychological profiles create an exclusive category of "attractiveness" that is much more spiritual than aesthetical. The same refers to their corporal appearance which is anorexic in the contours and rigid in the overall silhouette. Extremely skinny and malnourished, with declined strength and a minimum of corporal energy, the eremites display their everlasting restraint of all earthly pleasures and welfare benefits. Therefore, their postures are mainly static, expressing only the necessary motion for a prayer, a blessing, or a total devotion to religious ecstasy. However, a slight energetic charge of a kinetic outburst in the position of the praying hands has been given to the depiction of the eremites in order to expose their inner spiritual dedication and vigorous temptation. Dressed in garments made of rough fabrics, or much more often nude and covered with thick hair all over their bodies, the

hermits are the most modest saintly characters in regard to their clothing.

Although the eremites appear in the painted decoration of the Byzantine monuments later than the rest of the saintly images, the Middle and the Late Byzantine period display a range of remarkable portraits of the representatives of this ascetic category. In that regard, the figure of St. Paul of Thebes dressed in a minimum-tailored garment and the image of St. Makarios of Egypt covered with fur-like hairs from the ossuary of the Bačkovo monastery in Bulgaria can be encountered among the most impressive eremitic portrayals created at the turn of the twelfth century [42]. No less attractive is the figure of St. Onuphrios from the fresco ensemble of the church dedicated to St. Archangel Michael in Prilep, Macedonia (ca. 1275) represented in a temperament motion of a prayer and covered with short, but thick

knights descended from the celestial spheres of Heaven.

**2.7. Hermits**

32 Perception of Beauty

**Figure 9.** The church of St. Archangel Michael in Prilep, St. Onuphrios.

**Figure 10.** The church of Panagia Olimpiotissa at Elasson, St. Peter the Athonite.

#### **2.8. Female saints**

The last category of saints in relation to the notion and manifestation of beauty is the one of female saints, included within the gallery of holy characters depicted in the first register of church decorations. Belonging to two separate subcategories—modest nuns and extravagant lady aristocrats, the female saintly characters are the most appealing portion of the figural arrangement in the fresco decoration due to their gentle outlook, tender femininity, and affectionate nature. Although the two subcategories display different features of facial and corporal aesthetic exposure, they both express a mutual visual reference of physical likeness, presentable appearance, and pleasing exposition. In that regard, their facial features display mild curvatures and fair complexion, permeated with serene facial architecture and inner spiritual tranquility. The facial expressions are calm and tenderhearted, merciful, and compassionate. Radiating with composure and laxity and glowing with innocence and unimposing virtues, the female saints in Byzantine painting are the true jewels of visual attractiveness and stand for the most appealing vistas in the world of pure and unrivaled painterly imagination. Their corporal appearance is also very desirable—tall and slender, elegant and graceful, and noble and dignified, the figures of the female saints fill the interior of Byzantine churches with cultivated aesthetics of their femininity, permeated with the hues of gender sensitivity and irresistible vulnerability. With elegant postures and graceful gestures that manifest their spiritual devotion to an obedient prayer, the female saints are imbued with energetic charge of a mild nature, tamed exposure, and quiet temperament. The graceful movement of the elongated fingers, the ceremonial motion of restrained gestures, as well as the mild expression of dignified affection are the basic features of saintly energy that ornament the figures of the female Christian individuals. The greatest distinction between the depiction of the nuns and the aristocratic women is within the dress code, which, in the first case, constitutes of modest robes nuanced in pastel colors, while in the second, of luxurious and lavishly decorated garments, ornamented with rich embroidery and adorned with abundance of precious stones.

The real physical beauty of painted female saints is exposed for the first time in the second half of the sixth century in the depiction of the procession of ladies in the church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna [45]. Elegant and glamorous, graceful and ceremonious, the female characters in this basilica are, by all means, the most beautiful assembly of extravagant ladies in the history of Byzantine painting. The middle Byzantine period was the time of differentiation of the female individuals in relation to their social status and hence, their physical depiction. The best example in this regard is the gallery of female saints represented in the church of St. George at Kurbinovo (1191), where the three mildly configured and modestly dressed nuns are accompanied by the three extravagantly positioned and fashionably costumed lady aristocrats [46]. Similar case can be found among the saintly representations of the church dedicated to Sts Peter and Paul in Berende, Bulgaria (mid-fourteenth century), where St. Paraskevi, depicted as an unpretentious and humble monastic inhabitant, is accompanied by the feminine and highly attractive St. Kiriaki [47]. From the same period, the representations of the modest nuns Paraskevi and Barbara in the church of St. George at Pološko in Macedonia are painted together with St. Kiriaki portrayed as a glamorous beauty with refined complexion and *Haute couture* [48]. At the turn of the fifteenth century, the fresco painting of the paraclession built next to the temple of Sts Constantine and Helena in Ohrid reveals yet another similar example—the modest and gentle appearance of St. Sosana (**Figure 11**) *versus* the aristocratically attractive portrait of St. Catherine (**Figure 12**) was the finishing touch to the manifestation of two-dimensional female beauty in Byzantine mural painting.

**Figure 11.** The church of Sts Constantine and Helena in Ohrid, St. Sosana.

**2.8. Female saints**

34 Perception of Beauty

The last category of saints in relation to the notion and manifestation of beauty is the one of female saints, included within the gallery of holy characters depicted in the first register of church decorations. Belonging to two separate subcategories—modest nuns and extravagant lady aristocrats, the female saintly characters are the most appealing portion of the figural arrangement in the fresco decoration due to their gentle outlook, tender femininity, and affectionate nature. Although the two subcategories display different features of facial and corporal aesthetic exposure, they both express a mutual visual reference of physical likeness, presentable appearance, and pleasing exposition. In that regard, their facial features display mild curvatures and fair complexion, permeated with serene facial architecture and inner spiritual tranquility. The facial expressions are calm and tenderhearted, merciful, and compassionate. Radiating with composure and laxity and glowing with innocence and unimposing virtues, the female saints in Byzantine painting are the true jewels of visual attractiveness and stand for the most appealing vistas in the world of pure and unrivaled painterly imagination. Their corporal appearance is also very desirable—tall and slender, elegant and graceful, and noble and dignified, the figures of the female saints fill the interior of Byzantine churches with cultivated aesthetics of their femininity, permeated with the hues of gender sensitivity and irresistible vulnerability. With elegant postures and graceful gestures that manifest their spiritual devotion to an obedient prayer, the female saints are imbued with energetic charge of a mild nature, tamed exposure, and quiet temperament. The graceful movement of the elongated fingers, the ceremonial motion of restrained gestures, as well as the mild expression of dignified affection are the basic features of saintly energy that ornament the figures of the female Christian individuals. The greatest distinction between the depiction of the nuns and

**Figure 10.** The church of Panagia Olimpiotissa at Elasson, St. Peter the Athonite.

**Figure 12.** The church of Sts Constantine and Helena in Ohrid, St. Catherine.
