THE WORKS OF PANSELINOS ON LINE

In recent years, Byzantine hagiography has attracted the renewed interest of the international community of Byzantine scholars, thanks to studies dedicated to this subject,  Also, because hagiography has been the main focus of numerous research projects like databases, a new version of the Bibliotheca Hagiografica Graeca and some very useful handbooks dedicated to this literary genre, during the Byzantine Empire. 

The iconic Byzantine hagiography of Manuel Panselinos was presented on the Zoom platform, on the 12 January 2021, at 7 pm, where Tasos Papadopoulos narrated the story of his life and works.

 

The name of Panselinos has been associated with the highest Byzantine art and his frescoed hagiographies have been considered as important as those of Giotto and Raphael.  Born in the 15^th century in Thessaloniki, Panselinos was the most important hagiographer of the Macedonian School and one of the most famous of the Palaiologian Renaissance.

His works can be found in many monasteries of Mount Athos, including those of Vatopedi, Protaton, Lavra and Karyes.   Archaeologists believe that some are, also, in the chapel of St Efthimios in Thessaloniki.

Panselinos believed that art should be strongly associated with tradition, and he was strict about this principle, as time went by.  He struggled for the preservation of historic Orthodox iconography, when Byzantine art was threatened of changing by Western influences.  

  

 (I wish tom thank E,N. Tsigaridas for his book "Manuel Panselinos from the Holy  Church of Protaton",  Vasilios Tsolakis for his book "The Frescoes of Manuel Panselinos" and the blog Greek Reporter for the valuable information for this post)