KLPS, 28 (Annunciation) Print

Annunciation composition inspired by a Byzantine leaf relief found inside the north church of Constantine Lips Monastery, built in the tenth century in Aksaray, Istanbul, and Bauhaus school. The north church of this monastery was dedicated to Theotokos Panakrantos, according to Byzantine sources. There is a Greek inscription surrounding the façade of the northern church’s apse walls. Most of the parts of this inscription is missing and the translation of the surviving parts is as follows: “Constantine (offers) to the mother of God a gorgeous church […] blessed deed; measuring his (pious) disposition, show him, oh Panachrade (most pure Lady), to be inhabitant and citizen of the heavenly splendour (Paradise). […]” (Translation: Spingou, 2012). In this painting vertical parts of the Byzantine leaf design imagined as the wings of the angel and the tree in the temple where Mary was sitting while the angel descended to her. Triangles and circulars as simple geometric designs of Bauhaus school was used to imply the angel and Mary figures. In this painting both the wings of the angel and the tree is painted in blue as a color representing Mary in the Western art, to show the angel and Mary have the same purity. The Byzantine leaf design that is the main inspiration of this iconographic abstract composition 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 recently stolen.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:8 W x 12 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:13.25 W x 17.25 H x 1.2 D in

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