Coptic Egyptian and Christian Nubian painting - Essay Example

INTRODUCTION The territory of modern Nubia and Sudan is of special interest to historians, political scientists, religious groups and other academicians owing to its rich archeology and history (Atiya, 1980). The region has been a main point of interaction between several different cultural traditions and links Egypt, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean region and far beyond (Binns, 2002). The middle Nile is notable for its exceptionally early establishment of huge polities which offers remarkable opportunities for the exploration of the archeology of the establishment of political powers, the development of urbanism, agriculture and metallurgy among many other topics of interest to researchers. The Nile corridor which offered unique opportunities for trans-Saharan contacts also makes the region, through its archeology; provide an extraordinary scope for the exploration of the interaction and interplay of external and indigenous cultural traditions which are manifested materially. A study of the region’s history and artifacts reveal its encounters with Pharaoh’s Egypt, the Nubian Kingdoms’ apparent transformation into Christendom, and the formation of Muslim and Arab identities in the more recent past (Brown, 1995). Scholars dedicated to the study of Egyptian politics and history have quite a lot to deduce from paintings found in Nubian and Coptic churches of ancient times. The sections that follow are dedicated to the analysis of Coptic and Nubian Christian pictures and culture during the period between 500 and 1000 AD. EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN NUBIA Nubia refers to the region that lies in northern Sudan and south of Egypt along the Nile. With quarter of its territory lying in Egypt, and most of itself lying in Sudan, ancient Nubia was formally a self-governing kingdom. In 373 AD, Bishop Athanasius consecrated as bishop of Philae Marcus in a show that marked the penetration of Christianity in the fourth century. In 545, a Monophysite priest, Julian, is recorded to have led to the King’s conversion together with several of his noblemen. In the same year, other records suggest, the Makuria Kingdom was converted to Catholism by Byzantine missionaries. As time went by, Arab traders introduced Islam to Nubia which slowly supplanted Christianity. It is noted that whereas there could have been a bishop in 1372 at Qasr Ibrim, he also had to serve at Faras. At around 1350 AD, Dongola’s “Royal” Church had been converted to a mosque. NUBIAN CHRISTIAN PAINTINGS In regard to ancient paintings, three aspects apply to the painting’s shape; not to its meaning or function. There are paintings that were placed in well defined places because of their direct connections with subjects, symbolism or architecture (Edwards, 2001). There are paintings of scenes or people that are depicted primarily for devotional reasons, without direct connections with their placement. In very few cases does a connection exist between a place in church and a particular iconographical theme. There are also themes of nativity in Nubian paintings such as those found in Abdallah-n-Irqi Faras and Abd el-Gadir (Edwards, 2001). Such paintings were placed in the northern-eastern corner of the temple possibly due to their connection with preparation for Holy Communion. Also, Archangels may have been painted at church entrances portraying them as gatekeepers. Nubian churches, cathedrals and monasteries were generally constructed with their insides decorated with paintings. They resembled early basilicas that existed in the Byzantine Empire with a series of Christian murals that depicted bishops, kings, archangels and saints. The Cathedral of Faras is currently the largest source of Nubian wall paintings although other churches include Sonqi Tino and Abdallah-n-Irqi. Nubian paintings generally have an iconographic theme (Edwards, 2001). Icons during this period were representative, substituting the presence of the person depicted whether living or dead. Where deities, emperors and saints were represented, it was purposefully a sign of veneration, respect or worship to the person depicted. Nubian paintings had less “narrative” events which would illustrate an event that occurred in the Old or New Testament, much unlike Coptic Christian paintings of the same period. Paintings also included abstract images which usually represented a theological concept or idea, numerous crosses painted on walls for example. In a number of Nubian paintings, eschatological and Theophanical aspects were clearly displayed. A very large percentage of Nubian paintings on the wall are devoted to the representation of the cross, archangels and the Virgin Mary, highly respected in Nubian Christianity. Much like it happens with the use of icons the act of veneration is seen as an interaction between the person represented and the believer and as such does not depend on the place specifically (Edwards, 2001). Violet style paintings of the eighth century were rather homogeneous. Changes in character of paintings occurred in the mid ninth century. A style transition took place with the white style being adopted (Edwards, 2001). This followed the ascension of Georgios I to the throne and the beginning of Kyros’ episcopacy. Paintings of the kings, their families and of eparch started to appear in church during this period, later becoming part of the system, possibly being represented as earthly counterparts of the divine king. From the tenth century Benzatine influence on Nubian culture grew stronger with iconography being much embraced. COPTIC CHRISTIANITY AND ITS PAINTINGS Hellenization came to Egypt in 332 BC with the establishment of Alexandria, and with it came Greek arts followed by those of Rome which started to overlay Egyptian arts which were more ancient in style. In this setting, Christianity found its way into Egypt giving rise to the rich flavor of Coptic art (Cannuyer, 2000). In Christian and Coptic art, the scenes which mainly depicted battles as well as memorable events similar to those that would be found on walls of pagan temples were not mere art for art’s sake. The arts used by Egyptian Christian Churches during these early periods might be understood as graphic bibles considering the fact that most people were illiterate. They depicted famous topics in ways that would suit the common faithful Christian in his state of illiteracy (Cannuyer, 2000). It is generally accepted that Coptic Christian art developed from simple crude styles which gradually evolved to more complex and refined forms, spreading southwards from Alexandria. The art also differs from region to region as a result of the inexistence of more authoritarian influences in the south of Egypt whose ancient styles varied widely. In terms of style, Coptic painting is different from that of pagan groups in its light naturalistic rendering of man’s form; emphasis on plant and animal ornamentation; simplified detail, outline and colour; and high repetition of a small number of motifs which creates a monotonous effect. Coptic art later adapted a trend so complex to define out of the integration of several configurations that were majorly contrasting (Lowden, 1997). The paintings were influenced by Syrian Christian and Byzantine culture; and blended classical, Greek-Egyptian, Egyptian and Persian motifs. Coptic Christian paintings of the time had Old Testament scenes predominantly among which included the portrayal of Eve and Adam after their fall, Abraham’s sacrifice, Noah’s ark, Daniel in the Den of lions and the annunciation that symbolized the new covenant between men and God. Gradually the oldest worship places were established where once were pharaonic temples sometimes with their paintings remaining in place (Lowden, 1997). One notable painting of Coptic Christianity depicts Theodasia with her arms outstretched in her funerary chapel in prayerful contemplation (Cannuyer, 2000). She is flanked by two natives of the Antinoe; St. Mary and St. Colluthus. In this painting, the style differs from early Christian art examples. Her high social status is displayed by the woven decorations and flamboyant garments that she wears and by the sumptuousness of her monument. In the same picture, Christ is also depicted positioned between two angels, against a backdrop of vegetation and animals. The faces and poses of those depicted in the painting together with the folds of clothing all of which are simply treated place the paintings in a Benzatine context. Other paintings of the sixth century depict different episodes of the life of Christ including the flight of John and Elizabeth, Herod’s massacre of innocent children and Joseph’s dream. In monastic complexes, it was common to use panels (Moorse, 1978). Paintings outside the Western Delta, a place known to be a centre of isolated hermitages have isolated busts of warrior saints, Christ and depictions of St. Menas - a clear display of the lifestyle of the people living in the place (Lowden, 1997). Other scenes are largely secular depicting animals such as lambs, lions, tucks and quail, scenes of the Nile and lush vegetation. Crosses are also common, though not depicting the crucifixion, often weighed down with foliage and adorned with jewels. In Coptic art, Christ is in most cases depicted as reborn, benevolent, triumphant, glorious and righteous (Cannuyer, 2000). This is one continuous main and significant characteristic of Coptic art – early Egyptian Christians abhorred painting scenes of death, torture or sinners in hell. In many paintings Christ is portrayed giving a blessing. Even with Arab conquest and invasion of Egypt by Muslims in the mid seventh century, Christian iconographic programs continued to blossom, covering mainly ancient works (Lowden, 1997). This was especially true in the Wadi Natrun monasteries. With time the styles used in painting became grander and more inspiring as seen in a painting of Holy Mary listening to an archangel’s message and seated on a throne – the annunciation painting possibly done in the 700s AD (Cannuyer, 2000). She is surrounded by prophets Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah and Moses holding scripts that have Coptic inscriptions. The background of the painting portrays Nazareth, a theme that is uniquely Egyptian. Later paintings would reconcile with characteristics derived from Fatimid style which primarily consisted of squinches and pointed arches; Islamic in origin. The decorative theme is more complex with two tiers at the pendentives level (Brown, 1993). The upper tier would be adorned with common biblical scenes, with those from the Old Testament prefiguring those of the New Testament (Lowden, 1997). The lower tier would depict saints, angels, seraphim, Christ’s head and three men in a furnace. The figures as they appear were meant to be intercessors and witnesses of Christian faith – either through their martyrdom or by their ascetic life (Bolman, 2007). Some twelfth century Coptic paintings were found in monasteries of Dier al-Fakhuri and Dier al-Shuhada. The former portrays Christ enthroned. The portrayal of St. John and Holy Mary in one of the paintings invokes the theme of intercession linked with the last judgment by the Byzantine world (Cannuyer, 2000). On yet another painting, Christ’s feet symbolically surmount his feet in the sea of crystal which depicts the separation of the earthly world from paradise and the quenching of saints’ thirst. Many of the paintings from the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth century follow an iconographic theme (Godlewski, 1992). Icons as they were used during these periods are representations or pictures of a sanctified Christian person or martyr in such a way as to depict specific angels, saints, groups of saints or Christ as opposed to more complicated scenes. In some cases the icons are purely portraits of specific beings with little or no background. CONCLUSION Nubian and Coptic Christian churches, cathedrals and monasteries were generally constructed with their insides decorated with paintings. Paintings sometimes included abstract images which usually represented a theological concept or idea. Icons used during this period were representative, substituting the presence of the person depicted whether living or dead; purposefully a sign of veneration, respect or worship to the person depicted. Nubian paintings had less “narrative” events which would illustrate an event that occurred in the Old or New Testament, much unlike Coptic Christian paintings of the same period. In Christian and Coptic art, the scenes which mainly depicted battles as well as memorable events similar to those found on walls of pagan temples during these early periods might be understood as graphic bibles considering the fact that most people were illiterate. Paintings also were used to clearly display the lifestyles of the people living in a particular region. Scenes which were largely secular, depicting animals such as lambs, lions, tucks and quail, scenes of the Nile and lush vegetation, were done in places where agriculture or fishing thrived. Crosses often weighed down with foliage and adorned with jewels showed the richness of the region with valuable jewels and vegetation. REFERENCES Atiya A 1980 A History of Eastern Christianity Millwood Kraus Reprint New York Binns J 2002 An Introduction to the Orthodox Christian Churches Cambridge Cambridge University Press Brown P 1993 The World of Late Antiquity Thames and Hudson Publishing London Brown P 1995 Authority and the Sacred Aspects of the Christianisation of the Roman Empire Cambridge University Press Cambridge Bolman E 2007 Paintings and Monastic Practise in Early Byzantine Egypt pp 409-435 in Bagnall Egypt in the Byzantine World 300-700 AD Cambridge University Press Cambridge Cannuyer C 2000 Coptic Egypt Christians of the Nile Thames and Hudson Publishing London Edwards D 2001 The Christianisation of Nubia some pointers Sudan and Nubia 5; 90-95 Lowden J 1997 Early Christian and Byzantine Art Phaidon London Dunn J Coptic Christian paintings retrieved on 28th April 2009 from http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/copticpainting.htm Karel C Observation on the system of Nubian church-decoration retrieved on 28th April 2009 from http://www.arkamani.org/arkamani-library/christian/nubian-church-decoration.htm Moorsel P 1978 The Coptic apse-composition and its Living Creatures Etudes Nubiennes Cairo 1978 pp. 326-334 Read More