Border and Three Fragments (From a Curtain or Hanging) (6th/8th century) by Coptic; EgyptThe Art Institute of Chicago
Coptic Art
Coptic Christianity began in Egypt in the 1st century AD. The Coptic artistic tradition includes beautiful wall paintings, textiles, illuminated manuscripts, and metalwork, much of which survives in Egypt's ancient churches and monasteries.
Face of Christ (1997) by Patrick GodeauAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Living Images
Much in the way Pharaonic art was part of the living structure of temples and tombs, the church's wall paintings are an essential part of the spiritual work and ritual practices performed there.
The paintings also have important art historical value. The combination of Byzantine and Islamic artistic traditions is a testament to the excellence of Coptic art, as well as artistic cross-cultural links throughout the Mediterranean.
St. Theodore after Conservation (1998-12) by Patrick GodeauAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Ancient Influence
The art was also influenced by past traditions. Father Maximus el-Antony, one of the monks of the monastery, describes the influence of pharaonic art on Coptic painting, like the mix of frontal and profile perspectives seen in this image.
Christ enthroned (1997-05) by Robert K. Vincent Jr.American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Iconoclastic Controversy
The paintings were also born from the early Christian artistic period. Egyptian Christian art avoided the 100-year long iconoclasm movement of the Byzantine Empire that forbid the depiction of Christ and the saints and required the destruction of existing images.
The wall paintings of St. Anthony’s monastery, the first Coptic monastery, are unique examples of the continuation of early Christian artistic tradition, unrelenting in the face of iconoclasm.
Head conservator Adriano Luzi (1998-05) by Patrick GodeauAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Uncovering Masterpieces
Over the centuries, they became damaged from weather, smoke, and human interaction. So from 1996-1999, the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) carried out a project to conserve and protect the wall paintings.
Virgin Mary during cleaning (1998-04-01) by Robert K. Vincent Jr.American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Father Maximus el-Antony, who initiated the project, discusses how this project contributed to our understanding of Coptic art.
St. Theodore after Conservation (1998-12) by Patrick GodeauAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Originally from the 13th century AD, the paintings of St. Anthony’s represent the most complete iconographic program from medieval Egypt. They were commissioned by thirty donors and painted by a team of at least four individuals, led by a master painter named Theodore.
Virgin Mary and Child (1998-05) by Patrick GodeauAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
The decorative program represents some of the most common iconographic themes in Coptic Church decoration from 6th -7th century through the 13th century; Equestrian martyrs, standing saints, the enthroned Christ in Majesty, and the enthroned Virgin and Child.
These traditional figures, including monastic saints and depictions of patriarchs, are representations of the daily spiritual environment that monks navigated in 13th century Egypt.
St. George (1997-05) by Robert K. Vincent Jr.American Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Many of the saints depicted in the Nave were originally soldiers in the Roman army who refused to bow down and accept the Emperor and his pagan gods and were executed.
Martyrs were perfect witnesses to Christ, individuals whose faith in God was unwavering even in the face of suffering and death.
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These martyrs became soldiers of Christ and are often depicted on horseback. In the Nave of this church some of the Martyrs shown are Theodore the Anatolian, Claudius, Victor, Menas, Theodore Stratelates, Sisinnius, John of Heralcea, George, and Phoebammon of Ausim.
St. Anthony (1998-12) by Michael JonesAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Among the saints depicted are Saint Anthony, the founder of Coptic monasticism and namesake of the monastery.
Khurus ceiling (1997) by Patrick GodeauAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
The paintings do not only reflect the religious and spiritual environment of the monastery but also broader society. The painter Theodore and his team incorporated elements of Mediterranean visual culture, including Arab-style architectural features and Arabic calligraphy, as additional decoration.
Man wearing turban (1998-12) by Patrick GodeauAmerican Research Center In Egypt (ARCE)
Some of the minor figures in the paintings wear turbans, a common type of headdress in 13th century Arab society which indicated the wearer’s social status, rather than religious affiliation.
Discover More:
Resurrecting the Monastery of St. Anthony
Meet the Saints
Virtual Tour of the Monastery of Saint Anthony Museum
The project in the Monastery of St. Anthony at the Red Sea was sponsored by American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) Egyptian Antiquities Conservation Project with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
Created by Tessa Litecky and Elisabeth Koch, ARCE
Visit ARCe at www.arce.org
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