KLPS (1) Print

Palmette pattern inspired by a Byzantine leaf relief that can be seen inside Constantine Lips Monastery Church in Aksaray, Istanbul. It’s known that Byzantine craftsmen painted the sculptural elements inside churches. Floral motifs were usually painted with green, red or purple. In Byzantine art green color amplifies the motif’s floral characteristic while the red color used on the contours was aimed to create contrast with the green, therefore highlighting the motif. But what happens when there is a dim light inside the church? Do we still perceive the greens and reds or do we only see the highlights? This painting transforms the leaf motif into a palmette and shows it as if we are inside of a church and seeing the motif in dim light, it darkens the contours while highlights the motif itself and converts its surrounded space to the same brightness with the motif. The ancient leaf motif which is the main inspiration of this design, resembles to a lotus flower but it actually belongs to a larger composition on the marble cornice of north church’s main apse. The main part of the cornice comprises a central composition, with an equal-armed cross enclosed in a wreath of foliage and, flanking the wreath, two symmetrical flower stems and two facing partridges [or peacocks]. Beyond this composition which is in the middle of the frieze, the field is divided into equilateral triangles by a slight zig-zag frame, each triangle being filled with an upright leaf or a palmette (Grabar, 1963). But this cross relief enclosed by a wreath of foliage, representing the place of Jesus is in heaven, is missing today, possibly stolen recently.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:8 W x 10 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:13.25 W x 15.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.