The church of Archangel Michael at Lesnovo

In the north-eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, beyond the village of Zletovo and four kilometres east of Probištip, there is a monastery with a church dedicated to the Archangel Michael and the anchorite Gabriel or Gavril.^[1] The monastery lies on the south-west slopes of the Osogovo mountain range at an altitude of about 870 metres in an ancient mining area and is surrounded by extensive forests. Not so very long ago the site was very difficult to reach. Today, however, an asphalt road climbing up into the mountainous landscape and alongside steep cliffs brings the visitor almost to the gate of the monastery. When returning from the monastery, on one of the hair-pin bends in the road, one can enjoy the beautiful sight of the shining water of the rice fields far down the valley.

The narthex of the church contains a portrait of the archbishop of Zletovo. It is known that the Serbian King Dušan made this monastery into a bishopric and a centre of the newly formed episcopy. Today the monastery belongs to the eparchy of Bregalnica. We may assume that with the naming of an archbishop of Zletovo came the naming of the village Lesnovo. As seen in the Sveti Kliment in Ohrid, an archbishop and his views and ideas on religion can have an important influence on the paintings in a particular church, and one wonders how influential the views of this so far unknown archbishop have been on the paintings in this church, and in particular on those of the narthex.

The eleventh century church from the time of the anchorite Gabriel was completely rebuilt in 1341 by the feudal Lord Jovan Oliver who later received the title “despot”. He was a sebastocrator at the court of the Serbian king, the later Emperor Stefan Dušan (1331-1355) and gave instructions to decorate the church with wall paintings. Oliver also ordered the building of the narthex, which was decorated with wall paintings in 1349. Both church and narthex have an octagonal cupola. The church has the form of an inscribed Greek cross with four pillars bearing the cupola. It is remarkable that the cupola of the narthex is about the same size as the cupola of the church (pict. XIV 1). The church has been built in alternating layers of brick and dressed stone, decorated with forms of brick like meanders, crosses and chess-boards (pict. XIV 2). The founder’s declaration in Slavic letters, indicating the year 6849 (1341) has been sculptured on the lintel above the west entrance. It mentions Stephan Dušan, Jean Oliver and his wife Anne-Marie, and also their son Kraïk. A second inscription in Greek letters can be found in the narthex above the entrance to the naos.

The monastic buildings partly surrounding the church are from a later period, built after the old monastery fell into decay. Rebuilding of the residential buildings took place in the first half of the nineteenth century. The bell tower is from the fourteenth century.

A number of hermits, such as Prohor of Pćinja, Gabriel of Lesnovo or Gavril Lesnovski and Joachim Osogovo are known to have lived in the Lesnovo area.^[2] The church was most probably built at the place where the hermit Gavril lived and was later buried, suggesting a reason why the church is jointly dedicated to him.

It is generally assumed that the wall paintings inside the church were painted by four or five painters.^[3] The names of three of them, Sevasto, Mihail and Marko, have been found on the frieze. There is some discussion about the name of the fourth. The painter of the two lower zones in the naos left his signature on the figure of George on the north wall next to the donor’s composition, but unfortunately the inscription is damaged. The fact that his name is inscribed on the figure of his personal protector, George, and that therefore his name was George, remains a speculation,^[4] although there is no indication to the contrary. He is supposed to be the master painter whose main characteristics in style are a clear expression, regular and beautiful shapes, and a pedantic manner. The treatment of figures and drapery is geometrically strict and the modelling is predominantly linear. The faces are pale with narrow strips of shading. From a technical standpoint, these frescoes are of extremely high quality, and are preserved in excellent condition.^[5]

The impression is that the painters used relatively too much red in their colouring of the wall paintings. At least two of the painters did excellent renditions, while the products of some others perhaps local, not too skilful painters or apprentices, left frescoes of low artistic quality. In the hands of the most expressive master from Lesnovo, the prominent Palaeologan style turned into anti-classicism; the facial features and “drama” were inherited but they were intensified both in typology and in modelling.^[6]

“In 1981 during further research on the fresco decoration in Lesnovo, something that seemed totally unbelievable was discovered. It was the portraits of the painters on the west wall of the naos of the church. Below the figure of St. Simeon, in the framework of the upper foundation line in a separate area, the head of an older man with white hair, a short beard and a long moustache was depicted. It was evident that it was not a religious, but a secular person. No inscriptions were found. Moreover, five other portraits, painted in the same way were located above the foundation line of the western naos. Each portrait is painted in a separate unequal space, which at the bottom ends in an elongated ray-like way that joins the other portions. In the middle, there is the portrait of a 30 to 35-year-old man with the features of the face well emphasised. His thick black hair is falling on his forehead. It seems to be a young and dynamic man. Turned toward him, two other figures are represented. The first is of a man with a pointed beard, side-burns and a thin and slightly twisted moustache. His face is elongated and he seems to be 40 to 45 years of age. The second is partially bald, with a wide forehead, large moustache and a beard separated into two portions. He is about 50 to 55 years old. On the sides there are the faces of two 18 to 20-year-old men. Unlike the face of the older man depicted alone, the group of icon painters is on a pale green background. The line of the drawing is black and the shaping is done with white paint. Analysis has shown that it is the work of a single artist, who painted his self-portrait, and later the portraits of the members of the group of icon painters. Using the icon painters’ signatures found earlier and the newly discovered portraits, we can state with certainty that the portrait of the main painter was done on a separate slab, although his name has not yet been discovered. The three faces on the second slab painted to the right of the entrance to the church are certainly portraits of the already known icon painters Sevasto, Mihailo and Marko. Only the names of the assistant painters remain unknown, since they did not have the right to signatures”.^[7]

The church is dedicated to Archangel Michael.^[8] A number of miracles were attributed to him, some of which have been depicted on the walls of this church and will be discussed later. The church – and especially the narthex – contains a number of remarkable wall paintings. The question arises as to whether some of these paintings were painted earlier elsewhere, or whether the painters produced them under the influence or at the suggestion of one of the authorities whose portraits are depicted in the narthex.

In the central cupola an impressive Christ Pantocrator has been completed in a round mandorla from which beams of light are radiating. Between these beams eight small angels support the mandorla as in an Ascension scene. In his hand Christ holds a gospel richly adorned with precious stones. On the wall of the tambour there is a depiction of the Divine Liturgy in which officiate not only angels but also seraphim and cherubim depicted as a band with wings.

On the pendentives bearing the cupola the four evangelists sit behind desks writing their gospels. Angels behind them give them divine spiritual inspiration. The pose given to Johannes is both remarkable and physically impossible.

The church contains a large number of Christological scenes which have been partly discussed in the churches described in previous chapters. Some of the wall paintings contain remarkable deviations from the well-known scenes.

The half cupola of the apse contains a depiction of a standing Maria. This wall painting, however, is seriously damaged.

The Communion of the Apostles in the apse shows Christ standing at each side of the ciborium. He is not assisted by deacon angels. Below the ciborium stands an altar-table covered with a large red cloth bordered with gold coloured strips at the edges and the border of the table. Only a richly adorned gospel book stands on the altar. Behind it stands a candelabrum. The altar stands on a kind of platform. On the right of the altar Christ holds a paten in his left hand for the metadosis, out of which He hands over a piece of bread to the first of the apostles, possibly Paul, while the others wait in a long row behind him (pict. XIV 3). This part of painting has clearly been painted by a less skilful painter, who has not succeeded in expressing a physiognomy of Christ and the apostles that is immediately recognisable. On the other side of the ciborium, Christ holds a chalice in His hand for the metalepsis; in His other hand He holds a spoon with which He offers the wine to the first of a long row of waiting apostles, probably Peter. The depiction of a spoon may have been a custom in Lesnovo at that time and is not known in other places. The left side of the wall painting has not been very well preserved (pict. XIV 4).

Below this scene there is a unique picture of Christ in a mandorla as a celebrating bishop (pict. XIV 5). He is dressed in a white sticharion with black poloi over which hangs the epitrachelion, adorned with one large red cross; over His shoulders He wears an omophorion decorated with two large red poloi. The white sleeves covering His arms are decorated with red and black interwoven lines. He stands behind an altar table covered with a dark red cloth. He makes a gesture of blessing with both hands. On the left side of the table stands an empty paten covered with an asteriskos and on the other side the chalice for the wine. In the centre of the table lies an unrolled scroll containing a few words. He is surrounded by two seraphim, the six-winged angels, within a second mandorla. Both hold flabellas in their hands. On the left and right other angels attend on Christ.

Two different but related scenes are shown here: the Communion of the Apostles as a reminder of Christ’s words about the breaking of bread, the offering of wine, and the heavenly altar table at which Christ himself is the celebrant priest.

Below the picture of Christ as celebrant a row of archbishops has been depicted. They hold scrolls in their hands, two of which have been unrolled. There is a remarkable difference in the style of painting of their faces. The beautiful expression of the bishops on the right contrasts with a somewhat awkward less artistic quality of the painting of the bishops on the left. Two of the bishops on the right are Ioannis Chrysostomos and Athanasius of Alexandria (pict. XIV 6); those on the left are Basil the Great and Gregory of Niazanz, also called the Theologos (pict. XIV 7). They are dressed in the classical manner: the two on the right wear a sticharion with black poloi and an omophorion with large red-brown crosses; those on the left are similarly dressed except for the red poloi on their omophorion. The few old Slavic words on the scroll of Ioannis Chrystomos: “O Lord, my oil.” While Anthanasius of Alexandria expresses the words: “Lord, our God on whom (rests) the incomparable power and the unreachable glory.” Gregory of Niazanz’ scroll contains the prayer: “O my Lord, accept the diligent prayer of your servants.” The only word on the scroll of Basil the Great reads: “Nobody…”

They address themselves to the figure of Christ lying in a paten, a Melismos (pict. XIV 8). On a painted altar table covered with a red cloth lies a gold coloured paten with the naked body of the Christ-child covered by a red coloured aer, adorned with a cross and embroidery at the borders. The child has been painted with the face of an adult, and the painting is not one of the masterpieces of the church.

In a niche in the diaconicon, a remarkable wall painting can be seen of Christ as high-priest (pict. XIV 9). He makes a gesture of blessing and holds a gospel in his left hand. He wears a white omophorion around his shoulders with a number of red crosses. Remarkably his clothing originally contained fourteen small portraits of unnamed prophets, evangelists and or martyrs, most of who hold a gospel or a scroll and some a martyr’s cross.

The church contains illustrations of some of Christ’s miracles and scenes from His life. Christ’s meeting with the woman from Samaria (pict. XIV 10) is depicted on the west wall above the Koimesis.^[9] He sits beside a well, opposite the woman who stands on the other side. She holds one hand to her chest and in her other hand she holds a small water-jar. In the background four disciples are shown returning. On the right side of this wall painting the gate of a town is shown. A woman leads a crowd of people to see Christ, the man who had told her all the things she had ever done. With both hands she directs the people to Christ still sitting at the well. The scene is not simply the depiction of Christ talking to the woman, but a reminder to those who are looking at the wall painting of Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman that God has given her “living water”, and that “...the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”^[10]

On the other side of the same wall, there is a picture of Christ healing a blind man (pict. XIV 11).^[11] On the left side of the wall painting Christ followed by His disciples is shown, walking outside a town. The blind man guided by a boy stands in front of Him. Christ touches his eyes with a finger of his right hand. The scene continues by depicting the man going to the pool of Siloam on the instruction of Christ to wash his eyes.

Between those two wall paintings, the scene of the casting out from the temple is shown. On the left, Christ, followed by His disciples and with a whip in His right hand, angrily enters the temple to drive out all the merchants and money-changers (pict. XIV 12). Tables have been overturned, people run away carrying as much as possible of their merchandise and looking anxiously back. Even one of the cattle looks back. Most are men with long beards, but in the right hand corner, a woman holds a perch with four white doves. The less skilled painter of this scene has not succeeded in giving the people a variety of facial expressions.

The scenes relating to the Passion of Christ have only been partly preserved. A number of scenes are missing, and those that are shown have not been put in a logical sequence with some placed on the south wall, a number on the west wall and the rest on the north wall. The betrayal of Judas on the south wall has almost disappeared with only his figure still being recognisable.

On the west wall there is the mockery of Christ. He stands in the centre on a suppedion surrounded by soldiers, servants and priests, dressed in a purple robe and holding a reed in his hand. The crown of thorns has not yet been put on His head. Some of the people around him make music on instruments of that time and some are dancing.

On the other side, the Way of the Cross has been depicted. Christ with hands bound and a face full of sorrow is surrounded by soldiers and other people. A soldier leads him by the arm. An older man carries a ladder while on the right others make music on a flute, a cymbal and a drum.

The bearing of the cross by Simon of Cyrene is shown on the north wall of the naos, but the condition of the painting is very bad.

The scenes relating to the Crucifixion are also shown in a painting on the north wall. The painting has not been very well preserved, but its main features are clearly visible. One of the soldiers holds a large cup of vinegar to Christ’s mouth, Christ refuses to drink from it. Christ is shown mounting the cross by means of a long ladder, pushed by a soldier. The composition of the scene is similar to that of the wall painting in the Church Sveti Djordje at Staro Nagoričane.

Next to this scene the Crucifixion has been painted. Christ is in the centre, his hands and feet nailed to the cross and beside him are the others crucified with him. The painters have shown them with their arms bound around the patibulum, their backs also bound and their feet nailed to the cross.

The man on the left has a nimbus; this part of the wall painting has been damaged. The name Gestas has been painted beside the man on the right. Longinus brings his lance and Stephaton simultaneously brings the stick with the sponge to the body of Christ. At the foot of the cross, soldiers are busy cutting up His garments with large scissors. It is not clear whether they are gambling for His clothes.^[12] It is notable that, apart from the soldiers, no other people are shown standing near the cross.

Next to this scene is the Threnos. The body of Christ has been taken from the cross and put on the lithos, the anointing stone. Near His body stand His mother and Johannes the Evangelist who holds His hand. In the background some wailing-women who are mourning His death gesticulate with their hands. The scene is similar to the scene in the Church of Sveti Kliment in Ohrid, but is artistically of lesser quality. The colours of the wall painting have somewhat calcined.

The Koimesis on the west wall above the entrance does not differ greatly from other similar renderings although the intense colours of the wall painting are note-worthy (pict. XIV 13). Christ in a mandorla is surrounded by a host of angels and archangels, two of them holding candles. Above the head of Christ there is a seraph, as a link to heaven. In front of the bed on which the body of the Virgin has been laid, the painters have depicted a small footstool on which her shoes are. In the air, the disciples approach in clouds. Two archbishops rather than the usual three are in attendance.

The apostles Peter and Paul looking at the viewers inside the church can be seen at both sides of the entrance.

On the south wall of the naos, there is the appearance of Christ to the apostles, who had been fishing unsuccessfully in Lake Tiberias (pict. XIV 14). The wall painting shows a boat in the water with a net hanging over the side full of fish after Jesus, who stands on the shore, had told them to cast the net on the other side of the boat.^[13] Peter has jumped into the water to swim towards Him. A plate with a piece of bread and a fish is shown at Christ’s feet, suggesting the meal that Christ had prepared for them. “…Jesus said to them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, who art thou? Knowing that it was the Lord.”

On the lower zone of the north wall beside the iconostases, Oliver the sebastocrator and despot has been depicted holding a model of the church in his left hand (pict. XIV 15). His grave face is turned to the observer. On his long dark curly hair, which falls in four locks on his shoulders, he wears a head-band. He has a small moustache and a beard separated into two portions. On his head he wears a diadem. He wears a sculpted coat decorated with chased work in a fine lay-out as of lace, over a blue shirt with decorated sleeves. As was the style in his time, he wears a skirt of blue strips with gold seams and strips of the same material as his coat, which continue in front and at the sides. On the right stands the Archangel Gabriel, dressed as a soldier in a hauberk with a red cape hanging from his shoulders. He holds a drawn sword in his right hand against his shoulder. Gabriel looks towards Oliver. A long text explains the latter’s position.

Gabriel can also be seen, dressed in red imperial robes, richly decorated with gold bands adorned with pearls and precious stones in front, around his neck and shoulders and on his arms (pict. XIV 16). He holds the messenger staff in his right hand and a disc with the monogram of Christ in his other hand. He has large outstretched wings and brown coloured hair on which there is a tania. His quite androgynous face looks attentively at the visitors of the church. The portrait was clearly rendered by an experienced artist.

The Archangel Michael was venerated at a relatively early stage in Byzantium and it is known that by the fourth century, churches were already dedicated to him. In the ninth century under the influence of the Macedonian ruler Basil I (827 – 886), the Michael cult increased. Later in Constantinople, Emperor Michael Paleogos III erected a statue of him in military dress. A new cycle of wonders ascribed to the saint developed from the tenth century onward, as a result of the protection from flooding of the Michael Sanctuary at Chonai. Chonai was an important centre of the cult of the Archangel Michael at Colossay in Phrygia in Asia Minor, where a church dedicated to him was built next to a spring, the water of which possessed healing properties. Pagans attempted to destroy the church by diverting a river towards it. The archangel appeared, however, and stemmed the flow of water before the eyes of the astonished Monk Archippos, founder of the church^[14]. This scene has not been depicted inside the Lesnovo Church, but this church does contain a number of miracles of the Archangel Michael so far not depicted in other churches.^[15] In some of them, Michael has been depicted as a fighter, as a defender of evil. He is usually clad in red with a long sword; in other scenes he performs miracles and is clad in green. On the south wall of the naos, a wall painting shows how Michael destroyed a Saracen fleet which was attacking Constantinople (pict. XIV 17). He stands on the right of the scene with a fiery sword in his right hand and his shield in the other, his wings spread wide.^[16] He is dressed as a soldier with a hauberk; a red himation flutters behind him, and he has a helmet on his head and boots on his feet. A number of ships lie capsized in the water, the oars are adrift; men are falling into the water. One ship seems to float in the air with one angry black man on board. On the other side the black man kneels in supplication before an older soldier who has stretched out his hand towards him, his face full of pity. The background shows multicoloured houses behind the walls of the city Constantinople. Behind the soldier a number of people stand inside the gate of the city. A young man and three women look in different directions. In the middle of the scene a group of people come out of one of the churches of the town. Among them there is an elderly man with long grey hair and a beard, surrounded by younger people who concluding from the movements of their hands are concerned about the Saracens. This is an impressive wall painting, the subject of which does not appear in earlier paintings in other churches.

Another hither to an unknown miracle of the Archangel Michael can be seen on a painting on the west wall. A monk lies in a cave in front of a church (pict. XIV 18). A legend tells that the monk’s soul had been possessed by a demon who convinced him that he, as a monk and a man of God, had divine power. He suggested to him that he would be able to walk on water, as Christ had done^[17]. The monk is shown standing by a stream of water with wooden planks under his feet. Because of his pride he fell in and nearly drowned. The monk retreated to the cave and called on Michael for help. He came and exorcised the demon from the body of the monk. He stands before the monk, who has raised one hand towards the archangel as if asking him for help. Michael makes a gesture of blessing. From the mouth of the monk comes the demon as a winged black naked devil, which has raised his hands in supplication towards the archangel as if begging him not to punish him. A text on the wall explains the miracle.

Another of Michael’s miracles is the healing of the seven lepers, depicted in the apse (pict. XIV 19). It is a complicated scene and difficult to understand. The archangel stands on the left of the scene, again dressed in green. He has both hands outstretched towards seven lepers who have been depicted almost naked and completely covered with spots to indicate their illness. They are bathing in the waves of the sea or a river. On the right of the scene the same seven people, healed from their disease, stand behind a table laid with drinking cups and bread with an inscribed cross. One of them is drinking from one of the cups. In front of them sits a man, dressed in red, who is playing a mandolin-like musical instrument. One of the seven men has a strange headdress. The rest of the scene cannot be explained properly. Above the banquet are two boys. The legs of the one on the right side are hidden by a mountain edge. He is dressed in a green tunic with short sleeves and wears a belt. He seems to be applauding the other, who is dancing. The latter holds a white handkerchief in each hand. He wears a short white skirt with a belt. Two rocky mountains can be seen behind the boys. At the side of it sits an old monk. In front of him a church is shown. Unfortunately a long inscription explaining the scene can no longer be deciphered^[18].

Another scene on the south wall shows Archangel Michael with a drawn sword standing on a wall of a town confronting a man on a donkey, who is approaching at a full gallop with a long stick in his hand (pict. XIV 20). Here Michael is dressed in red. The scene is a representation of the story of Balaam from the Old Testament.^[19] He met an angel on his way without seeing him, but his ass saw the angel of the Lord with a drawn sword standing in the way and turned away. Three times Balaam beat the ass before his eyes were opened and he also saw the angel of the Lord. This story was sometimes depicted in the catacombs in the beginning of Christianity.^[20] The underlying message is probably that, even if man does not obey the instructions of the Lord, He nevertheless sends His angel to show him the errors of his way.

Another scene, of which only the left part has been preserved, due to the inserting of a window into the wall, shows the archangel standing with outspread hands and wings. At his feet three monks lie in proskynese before the archangel worshipping him (pict. XIV 21).Their identity and the reason why they are entreating him are unknown.

A scene on the south wall shows a well-dressed man with a beard in a dark red chiton and a blue mantle with a white lining on the inside. He wears a white hat, and stands in front of a rich house with an outside open porch resting on pillars. He is shown giving money to two lepers and an older man carrying a child on his back (pict. XIV 22).^[21]

There are two other scenes relating to Archangel Michael. In the first Joshua stands before the armoured Michael. An inscription on a rock indicates: “Lord what do you order your servant.” The second scene shows the three men in the fiery furnace with the archangel standing behind them to protect them.

In the corner of the south wall, four anachorets have been painted as men of poverty (pict. XIV 23). The indications of their names have disappeared. It is assumed that the second on the left is Euthymios to judge from his physiognomy. The man with the monk’s hood standing beside him is most probably Gavril Lesnovski and it is possible that the outer two are Prohor of Pćinja and Joachim Osogovo. They lived in the extensive woods of the Kozjak among the already Christianised but illiterate Slavic people. All three were considered to be healers of mentally possessed people. Gavril, to whom the monastery was devoted, had the best education of the three anachorets. He belonged to a rich and respected family, married young and became a widower. He had a monastery built near Kriva Palanka, but later withdrew into the mountains to live in a cave. A legend tells that thirty years after his death, he appeared to a Russian monk at Sophia. The latter found his relics and brought them to Lesnovo, where, after 1330, there was a church in which the saint was buried. The date is known from the work of an unnamed author, who stated that he had completed copying his book for the higoumenos Theodose, “in the region of Ovce Polje, in the lands of Zletovo near the Monastery of the Archangel Michael.” In 1330 an author named Stanislav created new legends of the saint and miracle worker, Gavril. This author combines realism, symbolism and fantasy, more or less in the style of ancient devotion. Apart from this portrait of the saint, no further wall paintings of him or his life have been painted inside the church.

Three of the anachorets hold a scroll with a text in old Slavic. The text of the scroll of the man at the left side reads: “Come to me, so that I can teach to you the fear of the Lord.” The next man is saying: “Since I am a monk I sustain not to give way to the anger.” Gavril Lesnovski is saying the philosophical words: “You saw, however, the heavens stretch out over the earth and not one of them will escape but only the humble wisdom.”

On the inside of the south pillar, John the Baptist has been painted as an angel with large outstanding wings (pict. XIV 24). He wears a kind of shirt of camel-hair showing a bare arm and over his left shoulder he wears a simple white himation. He holds an unrolled scroll in his left hand containing the old Slavic words partly from Matthew: “Repent you, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. See the axe is laid unto the root of the tree and every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.”^[22]

On the other side of the same pillar, facing west, there is a lovely and original portrait of Maria and child (pict. XIV 25). It has the characteristics of a Maria Hodegitria in the way she holds her left hand, but she does not point to the child, but rather contemplates the child with a face full of pity. The child itself looks up at his mother and makes a gesture of blessing.

The narthex of a church may sometimes contain surprising depictions of a sometimes quite new and inventive nature, as in the narthex of Sveti Kliment at Ohrid. This is also the case in the Church of Archangel Michael at Lesnovo, where there are paintings relating to the divine power which inspired a number of church fathers. Some have an incarnational meaning, with the pre-figurations of the Virgin, while others illustrate Hymns of Praise of the psalmist David. It is generally assumed that the paintings in the narthex were done by one painter, who was not the painter of the naos.^[23] It was previously believed that his name was Michael because of the Greek inscription inscribed on the sword of the Archangel Michael, painted next to the entrance to the naos.^[24] It may be possible that the inscription refers to the archangel but, comparing it with similar inscriptions made in e.g. the churches of Sveti Kliment at Ohrid and Sveti Djordje at Staro Nagoričane, I am of the opinion that it refers to the name of the painter.

The central cupola of the narthex here also contains a depiction of Christ Pantocrator holding a gospel in his hand (pict. XIV 26); below him eight angels are shown with covered hands. Prophets from the Old Testament can be seen between the windows of the drum.

Remarkable are the paintings on the four pendentives bearing the cupola. They do not contain the four evangelists as is usual, but unique wall paintings of four archbishops, Fathers of the Church. The scenes are relatively large and relatively well preserved. The saints are shown sitting in large chairs writing their sermons or gospels. Each of them is touched on the head by a small angel, who with his other hand reaches to one of the beams of light that shines from the edge of the cupola, to give the saints the inspirational power of divine Wisdom.

On the south-west pendentive, Ioannis Chrysostomos is probably writing his Divine Liturgy (pict. XIV 27).

Behind the back of his chair, a man points to the text of a scroll resting on a book support in the form of a snake’s mouth, which stands on his desk. It is probable, in view of his profile, that this is the Apostle Paul. Behind them a small basilica has been painted. The Greek text of the divine message, which is directed immediately to the painters, reads: “O painter, imitate the artistic creative nature and temper her by mixing.”^[25] From Ioannis’s desk flows a stream of water from which people are filling their jars. The first people in the line are the painters dressed in their white clothing and head-gear, who have come to drink from the wonder-working water and to read the special advice written for them by Ioannis. They stand in front of the scroll on the book support. The figure of the master painter holding a stone bottle complements the unfinished thoughts of the text.^[26] The old master, who has filled a stone bottle with the water of wisdom from the source of Ioannis, will mix it with the drink taken from the source of nature.

At the end of the stream where it curves, people are busy filling their jars; in the curve two people lie flat drinking from the streaming water of wisdom.

Behind Ioannis on the south-eastern pendentive, Athanasius of Alexandria is shown at his desk writing (pict. XIV 28) while a stream of water flows from the desk; two painters dressed in white are here, fill their jars with the streaming water, while a long row of people stands waiting. At the far end of the row a man with a jar on his shoulder holds an apparently unwilling child by the arm. Two other people are on their knees drinking from the water.

On the north-west pendentive, Gregory of Niazanz has been depicted (pict. XIV 29). In front of his desk a well is shown in a cross form, from which three figures dressed in white are busy drawing water. Behind them a long row of people watches and waits. The last person in the row drinks from a bottle.

Behind Athanasius on the north-east pendentive we see Basil the Great sitting at his desk (pict. XIV 30) in a scene that is almost identical to the previous one. A long row of people are waiting; the first one in the row, the old master painter, holds a jar in his hand to draw water from the well.

On the desks of Athanasius, Gregory and Basil stand book rests. On the book rests of Athanasius and Basil lie unrolled scrolls with text. Unfortunately these texts are no longer legible, in view of the presence of the painters in the scenes, these, like the text of Ioannis Chrysostomos, probably have some relevance to their artistic work.

Both the streams of water and the wells symbolise the inexhaustible stream of wisdom from the teaching of the Fathers. Believers are busy filling their stone jars and in this way drinking from the living water that never thirsts, a well of water springing up into everlasting life.^[27]

The theme of water is continued on the east wall of the narthex where the Virgin Maria has been depicted as the Life-giving Fountain (pict. XIV 31). She stands as a half-figure in a large basin in the pose of an orant with both arms wide outspread; looking at the viewer.^[28] She is dressed in a purple maphorion and her arms, emerging from the folds, are covered with blue sleeves with golden cuffs. Scenes like this began to be painted at the beginning of the fourteenth century. The subject, which is a feast of the Virgin celebrated on the Friday after Easter, is based on the name of a miraculous fountain in Constantinople. The first church over the shrine was built by Leo I, it was later replaced by Justinian I. The iconography of the theme, which became very popular in later Byzantine art, probably relates to the appearance of the fountain painted in this church.^[29]

On the same wall, the Dream of Jacob at Bethel^[30] has been painted. Jacob lies sleeping in a mountainous landscape, his head on a stone. Behind him an angel points to something above him. “…And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;”

On the same wall Jacob’s wrestling with an angel has been painted.^[31] That scene shows two figures that have their arms around each other, trying to put each other on the ground. The left one is an angel with large wings. “… And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when hew saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, fore the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said: Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel^[32]: for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved.” The style of both paintings with large round figures is similar to the work of the painters Michael and Eutychius.

Also on the east wall, a painting of Moses and the burning bush can be seen (pict. XIV 32).^[33] The scene has three parts: on the lower side Moses is shown lying on the ground, apparently sleeping. Some of his father-in-law’s sheep which he was looking after have been painted behind him. In front of him lies his rod. On the left there is the burning bush. When he looks up he notices that the flames do not consume the bush. “And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see he called unto him out of the midst of the bush.” The figure of Christ calling Moses has been depicted. On the right Moses stands in an averting gesture, for in front of him his rod has been changed into a serpent on God’s demand. In the background Mount Horeb can be seen. Sometimes in such scenes, there is a reference to the Immaculate Conception, but in this wall painting the Virgin with Child has not been depicted.

A remarkable wall painting, also on the east wall of the narthex, is the representation of the tabernacle, the tent under which the Arc of the Covenant was placed (pict. XIV 33).^[34] Behind the looped up veil of the tabernacle, an altar has been depicted covered with a cloth containing a tondo with the depiction of the Virgin on the front. Three steps lead up to the altar. On the altar-table stands a box with a triangular cover, the Arc of the Covenant. In the middle over the front side of the cover there is a gold plate carrying a portrait of the Virgin. The Arc is guarded by a seraph with six wings, floating above it. Behind the table, two large candelabra have been outlined. On both sides of the altar two men have been portrayed as the priests of the temple. Unusually each is shown wearing a crown. On the right, an elderly man (Aaron) holds a long staff in his left hand and a censer in his other hand. On the other side, a younger man (Moses) holds two books of the law in both hands. Over their clothes they each wear a himation, the back of which seems to have words written on it.

Also to be found on the east wall is a depiction of Moses sitting on the left on a rocky mountain dressed like a king with a crown and a royal mantle adorned with black stylised eagles (pict. XIV 34). He has raised his right hand in a gesture of speaking towards a group of twelve men, all indicated by a nimbus. They are the representatives of the twelve Tribes of Israel. An inscription on the left contains the words: “He says and the things are happening; for he commanded, and they were created.”^[35]

The entrance to the naos in the east wall forms a niche in which a number of scenes have been depicted. On the top just behind the ceiling are Joachim and Anna, looking straight ahead, Joachim holds a scroll and Anna makes a gesture with both hands, which suggests she is asking for attention (pict. XIV 35).

Below them is a painting of Christ as the never sleeping eye, Christ Emmanuel, or Anapeson.^[36] He is to be understood as the lion of Judah, who shall rouse Him up.^[37] He is neither slumbering nor sleeping. A young looking Christ lies on a mattress, one hand under His chin, His eyes open. On the right His mother waves a fan to cool Him and on the other side the Angel Gabriel in a fluttering himation holds a cross from which hangs the crown of thorns.

Below this scene the Archangel Michael has been depicted sitting on a white horse in full military dress. In one hand he holds the reins and in the other a long sword to his shoulder (pict. XIV 36). He has been painted as if riding at a full gallop. His wings can be seen on both sides of his body, the left one much larger than the other. Below his left wing, his himation flutters behind him. He has been depicted inside a painted arch. He has been portrayed completely in dark red as if an inner fire radiates from him.

To the left and right of this scene, the saints Theodorus Studites and Johannes of Damascus, respectively, have been painted.^[38] Theodorus Studites is shown as a bishop with sticharion with epitrachelion and phelonion. He holds an open book in his hands. Johannes of Damascus holds an unrolled scroll in his hands. He was one of the most important theologians of his time, and wrote an important apology in favour of icons shortly after the start of the Iconoclasm. He is depicted in a monk’s habit. Both look up at Christ Emmanuel. Below this scene one can read the second founder’s inscription.

On the east wall of the narthex two remarkable paintings can be seen. The first is a representation of words from Psalm 149, a song of praise to the Lord of Israel (pict. XIV 37): “…let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.”^[39]. A group of nine young people dance in a circle to the music produced by two persons behind them; on the left King David with a crown on his head playing the harp, and on the right a young woman playing a large drum. At the top of the painting, beams of light radiate down onto the group.

The second painting shows a number of soldiers, who are engaged in fierce combat. They are dressed in short hauberks, helmets on their heads, a large shield in one hand and a drawn sword in the other. Three are still fighting, a large number of others have fallen in the battle. The text in Greek gives the only information: “a two-edged sword is in their hands.” These words are also from Psalm 149: “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;”. ^[40]

The painters have used two passages from Psalm 149 to depict two very different scenes; the group of happy dancers is in sharp contrast to the group of soldiers in combat. As far as can be traced, there is no earlier reference to the link between the two depictions.

On the barrel-vault of the narthex there is a unique wall painting representing words from Psalm 148: “Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light…” In the centre of the wall painting, Christ sits on a throne of seraphim surrounded by a choir of more than thirty angels. He has a double nimbus: the usual round cross-nimbus and a square one with three points visible (pict. XIV 38). The latter symbolises the four winds of heaven. The surrounding angels together form a large circle, which in turn is surrounded by many amazing depictions. The painter has used his imagination to the full to create the strangest creatures. Christ in glory is surrounded by a usual depiction of the twelve signs of the Zodiac (pict. XIV 39 - 40). The signs of the Zodiac were already known in ancient Babylon and in Egypt and were adopted by medieval science. The personification of the sun (pict. XIV 38, top left) is a naked winged figure riding a strange monster. She holds a red glowing sun with a crowned head inside. Further, the personification of the moon (pict. XIV 39, top right) and the cosmos (pict XIV 38, right) can be seen. Unfortunately, not all the signs of the Zodiac have been preserved. Easy to recognise is the first row of signs of the Zodiac with the astrons Aries, Taurus and Cancer. Below these there is the astron Gemini, and on the right, the astron Capricorn as a naked winged figure riding a monster with two heads and a tail of fire. The astron Libra (pict. XIV 39) consists of a balance with two heads.

Below the barrel vault on the south wall, Psalm 148 continues with strange creatures: beasts and birds and unusually formed mountains belong to the same scene (pict. XIV 41). They praise the Lord. Below the barrel vault there is a hemispherical arch depicting heaven in which Christ makes a gesture of blessing with both hands. On the right side many different animals and birds have been presented, all together in a paradise-like setting. The right side of the wall painting is not in good condition. The woman in red on the left is the personification of the earth, and in front of her are the words: “Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps:”^[41]. Below this scene two choirs join in their praises and on the left kings and priests and other dignitaries can be recognised. Above the last scene on the south wall, heaven has been depicted from which Christ blesses the world below with both hands. The painting has been well-preserved, except for a part of the right side which has disappeared.

The north wall of the narthex contains a portrait of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan (1331-1355)^[42] and his wife Helena, shown in the glory of their empire. He wears the imperial crown with a prependulia on his head and the loros across his chest. He holds a small cruciform sceptre in his right hand. He has been depicted larger than life-size, she is much smaller than he (pict. XIV 42). Both are dressed in the style of Byzantine emperors in very rich clothing adorned with goldthread, pearls and precious stones. She holds a small stick adorned with pearls in her hand. Both stand on a cushion. Above their heads, though difficult to see, heaven has been depicted, from which two hands reach down with crowns, one for him and one for her. Both have a nimbus. The right side of the wall painting has disappeared, but shows a small part of a nimbus that may have belonged to their son Stefan Uroš.

Below the imperial couple, the founder of the church Jovan Oliver and his wife Anne-Marie have been depicted (pict. XIV 43). She was the widow of King Stefan Uroš Dečanski (1321 - 1331). In the depiction they are not second to the emperor. On the contrary, they display the same pomp and circumstance: their robes are richly adorned with pearls and other decorations; she also wears a crown with a large prependulia. Although the face of Jovan Oliver has unfortunately been seriously damaged, it may be assumed that the depictions are real portraits.

On the east wall there is a portrait of the Archbishop of Zletovo as on old man with a grey beard. Unfortunately his name indication has disappeared.

The narthex contains more wall paintings which will not further be discussed here, among others on the west wall, the forty martyrs of Sebaste. This painting is somewhat damaged on left side.

The barrel vault contains a picture which is called the Vision of Ezechiel^[43]. Christ sits in a mandorla on an arch of heaven with his feet resting on a rainbow. Out of the mandorla comes a hand with a book. The words written beside it name the Prophet Ezechiel. On the left two groups of seraphim raise their hands to Christ. At the four corners there are four animals each with six wings and with the head of a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle respectively.

On the bank of a river, Ezechiel lies down and an angel comes to him. The angel is the representation of the spirit of the Lord who commands Ezechiel to prophesy upon the bones which were all around him.^[44]

On the same barrel vault the parable of the ten virgins has been depicted, five of them with burning candles and five without.^[45]

When considering the wall paintings of this church, those in the narthex stand out as being of particular interest. In the first place the portraits of the leading secular and religious figures of the time, Emperor Dušan and his wife, the despot Jovan Oliver and his wife and the Archbishop of Zletovo are given an important place in the narthex. The emperor and the despot have been depicted in the glory of their earthly power and wealth though it seems doubtful that they had any philosophical influence on the religious paintings in the church. Indeed it is rumoured that the despot Jovan Oliver only donated a large sum of money for the rebuilding of the church in order to assure himself of a place in heaven.

On the other hand the influence from the archbishop on the wall paintings in the narthex must have been strong. It was no doubt his choice to portray four leading church-fathers writing at their desks, although the inclusion of the divine message of Ioannis Chrysostomos to the painter may have been an initiative of the artist himself. Surprising is his inclusion of the very earthly signs of Zodiac in the picture of Psalm 148. The representations are of a remarkable form and were made a hundred years before Jeroen Bosch (1450 – 1516) painted his stylised human figures.

Indeed the remarkable way in which he has depicted the psalms is without equal, and marks him out as a skilled and learned painter.

Maria as the Life-giving Fountain, is surrounded by such Old Testament figures as Jacob, Moses and David, but, unlike the Koimesis scene at Sveti Djordje at Staro Nagoričane, there is no reference to the words they have spoken to worship her.

That a church devoted to Archangel Michael, contains scenes of his life is unsurprising, but it is remarkable that they are iconographically new. New also, is the depiction of Christ as celebrant priest assisted by two seraphim.

It may be concluded that especially the paintings in the narthex in the church at Lesnovo form a remarkable contribution to Byzantine art in Macedonia, even though they were produced far from the source of artistic inspiration at Constantinople by painters from an essentially local school.

CHAPTER XIV – LIST OF PICTURES

1	Church with western entrance
2	Outside view on apse
3	Communion of the Apostles – metadosis
4	Ibid, metalepsis
5	Christ as officiating bishop
6	Ioannis Chrysostomos and Anthanasius of Alexandria
7	Basil the Great and Gregory of Niazanz
8	Melismos
9	Christ as priest
10	Christ and the Samaritan woman
11	Christ healing a blind man
12	Christ cleaning the temple
13	Koimesis
14	Appearance of Christ at Lake Tiberias
15	Despot Oliver and Archangel Michael
16	Archangel Gabriel
17	Archangel Michael saves Constantinople from the Saracens
18	Archangel Michael exorcises a devil out of a monk
19	Archangel Michael heals seven lepers
20	Archangel Michael meeting Barlaam
21	Archangel Michael and three monks
22	A rich man and two lepers
23	Four anachorets
24	John the Baptist
25	Maria with child
26	Christ Pantocrator
27	Ioannis Chrysostomos writing his gospels
28	Ibid, by Anthanasius of Alexandria
29	Ibid, by Gregory of Niazanz
30	Ibid, by Basil the Great
31	Maria as the Life-giving Fountain
32	Moses and the burning bush
33	Moses and Aaron in the tabernacle
34	Moses sitting on a mountain
35	Joachim and Anna and Christ Emmanuel
36	Archangel Michael on a horse
37	Psalm 149, dancing people
38	Christ sitting on a throne of seraphim
39	Psalm 148, part of zodiac
40	Ibid
41	Ibid, mountains and animals
42	King Stefan Dušan and Helena
43	Despot Jovan Oliver and wife Anne-Maria

1. L’Art byzantine chez les Slaves, les Balkans, Paris, 1930; deuxième partie: Okunev, M.N.L., Lesnovo, p. 222-263; Radojčić, Svetozar, Lesnovo, Beograd, 1971; Georgievski, Mihailo, “Lesnovo Monastery: a Medieval Literary Centre”, MR, vol. VII, nr.2 (1977), p. 128-133; ibid, vol. XII, nr. 3 (1982), p. 240-245. ↑

2. See for a description of the saints Prohor of Pćinja and Joachim Osogovo: Chapter XIII Staro Nagoričane ↑

3. Djurić, p. 92 distinguished four painters hands in the naos. ↑

4. Gabelić, Smiljka, “Diversity in Fresco Painting of the Mid-Fourteenth Century: The case of Lesnovo”, in The Twilight of Byzantium, Aspects of Cultural and Religious History in the Late Byzantine Empire, Papers from the Colloquim held at Princeton University, 8-9 May 1989, Princeton, New Jersey, 1989, p.187, op.cit ↑

5. ibid, p. 188 ↑

6. ibid, p. 192 ↑

7. Balabanov, Kosta, “Discovery of the portraits of the Lesnovo icon painters” in Papers presented at the Vth International Congress of South-East European Research Studies held in Belgrade (11-16th September, 1984), Skopje, 1988, op.cit.; N.B. the author of this work has not been able to find these paintings during his visit of the church in May 2002. ↑

8. In Hebrew his name means: Who is like God. His name is mentioned in Daniel 10:13 and 21 and 12:1 as one the chief princes, the protector of Israel; in the New Testament he is mentioned in the Epistle of Jude 9 as Michael the archangel. In Revelation 12:7 Michael and his angels fought against the dragon who is identical with the Satan. Lit.: Painter’s Manual p. 22 and note 5, p. 25 and p. 65: The miracles of the archangel Michael with notes; Tatić-Djurić, Mirjana, Das Bild der Engel, Recklinghausen, 1962; Pallas, D.I. in RbK III, p. 14-119, s.v. Himmelsmächte, Erzengel und Engel, p. 44-47 Michael. ↑

9. St. John 4:1-42 ↑

10. St. John 4: 10, 14 ↑

11. St. John 9:1-12 ↑

12. Psalm 22:19; St. Mark 15:24; St. Luke 23:34; St. John 19:23-24. ↑

13. St. John 21:1-14 ↑

14. Mouriki, D., “Icons from the 12th to 15th Century” Sinai, Treasures of the Monastery of Saint Catharine, p. 107. op.cit.; wall paintings about the subject can be found in the church Archangel Michael, Ano Archanes, Temenos, Herakleion, 1315 - 1316 AD in Spatharakis, Ioannis, Dated Byzantine Wall Paintings of Crete, Leiden 2001, p. 44 - 47 ↑

15. Okunev, p. 250; Pallas, D. I., in Rbk III, s.v. Himmelmächte, Erzengel und Engel, VIII. C.4.c., p. 44–47 Michael; Tatić-Djurić, Mirjana, Das Bild der Engel, Recklinghausen, 1962, p. 56 ↑

16. Painter’s Manual, p. 65, note 5 suggests that this scene refers to local traditions concerning the intervention of the archangel; Mirjana Tatić-Djurić, p. 56 states that new miracles originated in the fourteenth century, among others the destroying of the fleet of the Saracens. ↑

17. St. Matthew 14:25-26 ↑

18. Okunev, p. 231 ↑

19. Numbers 22:22-35 ↑

20. Ferrua, p. 80/81, fig. 55 and p. 102/3, fig. 82. ↑

21. Millet, Tome IV, fig. 19, remarks the rich man and the lepers (not a biblical subject), whereas Radojčić, Lesnovo, fig. 5 remarks that Michael as a medical man is healing the lepers. ↑

22. St. Matthew 3:2 and 10 ↑

23. Djurić, p. 94 ↑

24. Gabelić, p. 193 ↑

25. Radojčić, Svetozar, “Malerei der paläologischen Renaissance”, JOB,VIII, 1958, p.116 (translated from German) ↑

26. ibid ↑

27. St. John 4:14 ↑

28. Hallesleben, H. in LCI 3, p. 176-178, s.v. Maria, Marienbild, B 13, Maria in Halbfig. über Brunnenschale – Zoodochos Pege. ↑

29. Painter’s Manual, note 12 to page 50, op.cit. ↑

30. Genesis 28:10-22 ↑

31. Genesis 32:22-32 ↑

32. The name Peniel means: the face of God ↑

33. Exodus 3 and 4 ↑

34. Exodus 25:10-22; Exodus. 26; Exodus. 36: 8-37; Exodus. 37:1-9; 1.Kings 8:1-9; Revelation 11:19; Lit.: Bloch, P. in LCI 1, p. 341-343, s.v. Bundeslade; Koellmann, E. in LCI 4, p. 216-217, s.v. Stiftshütte; the eldest depiction of the tabernacle has been found on the walls of the Dura Synagogue, dated about 250, and in the Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, dated about 440. ↑

35. Words from Psalm 148:5 ↑

36. Genesis 49:9; Num. 24:9;Psalm 121:4; see Sv. Nikita ↑

37. The Physiologus states that the second characteristic of the lion is that it sleeps with its eyes open. Reference is made to the Song of Solomon 5:2 “I sleep, but my heart weaketh” (The Physiologus is the Christian symbolism of animals, plants and stones) ↑

38. Kramer, J. in LCI 8, p. 446-447, s.v. Theodor Studita (von Studioskloster); Kaster, G., in LCI 7, p. 102-104, s.v. Johannes von Damaskus, Mönch; Mouriki, Doula, “The Portrait of Theodore Studites in Byzantine Art,” JOB 20, 1971, p. 249-280 ↑

39. Psalm 149:2-3 ↑

40. Psalm 149:6-7 ↑

41. Psalm 148:7 ↑

42. Emperor from 1345. ↑

43. Ezechiel 1:5-18 ↑

44. Ezechiel 37 ↑

45. St. Matthew 25:1-13 ↑