Constantine the Great is honored through a 10th-century ivory triptych leaf from Dumbarton Oaks, portraying him as both imperial ruler and Christian saint, embodying enduring authority and faith.
The Bee Goddess of Eleutherna
Celebrating World Bee Day, the ancient Bee Goddess Pendant of Eleutherna reflects early Greek reverence for bees as vital pollinators and powerful symbols of life, nature, and divine femininity.
Painter at Work!
From the Pompeii in Color: The Life of Roman Painting, the fresco Painter at Work from the House of the Surgeon captures a rare, intimate Roman scene of a female artist absorbed in painting within a richly framed interior space.
Mother and Child by Pablo Picasso
From the Mother’s Day, Pablo Picasso’s Mother and Child (1921) at the Art Institute of Chicago presents a serene, monumental bond between mother and infant, reflecting classical harmony and emotional stability.
Woman in Monsieur Forest’s Garden
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s Woman in Monsieur Forest’s Garden (1891) captures a quiet, natural portrait of Honorine in Montmartre, blending plein-air light with an intimate study of character and mood.
Simon Bening’s May
Simon Bening’s Golf Book (May, fol. 22v) presents a vibrant Renaissance May Day scene, blending aristocratic leisure on the river with richly detailed Flemish city and countryside landscapes.
La Fornarina
La Fornarina, often linked to Raphael, portrays an enigmatic young woman whose identity remains debated, blending sensuality, symbolism, and artistic self-awareness in a work that continues to fascinate scholars.
Good Friday – Μεγάλη Παρασκευή
The Byzantine Good Friday hymn contemplates Christ’s Passion with cosmic sorrow, reflected in a 10th-century ivory Crucifixion panel, where serene suffering and sacred symbolism proclaim sacrifice, redemption, and hope.
Holy Monday – Μεγάλη Δευτέρα
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence, he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.… (Book of Genesis, The story of Joseph, 40:20-22 – Holy Monday – Μεγάλη Δευτέρα) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+40&version=NIV
Την τρίτη ημέρα λοιπόν, ο Φαραώ είχε τα γενέθλιά του και έκανε συμπόσιο για όλους τους υπηρέτες του και έφερε μπροστά τους τόσο τον αρχιοινοχόο όσο και τον αρχιαρτοποιό. Και επανέφερε τον αρχιοινοχόο στη θέση που είχε ως οινοχόος, και εκείνος συνέχισε να δίνει το ποτήρι στον Φαραώ. Τον αρχιαρτοποιό όμως τον κρέμασε, ακριβώς όπως τους είχε δώσει την ερμηνεία ο Ιωσήφ. (Γένεση, Η Ιστορία του Ιωσήφ, 40:20-22- Holy Monday – Μεγάλη Δευτέρα) https://www.jw.org/el/%CE%B2%CE%B9%CE%B2%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%B8%CE%AE%CE%BA%CE%B7/%CE%B1%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%AE-online/nwt/%CE%B2%CE%B9%CE%B2%CE%BB%CE%AF%CE%B1/%CE%93%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%83%CE%B7/40/
Andreas Fingernagel, Director of the Department of Manuscripts and Rare Books
at the Austrian National Library, considers the Late Antique Codex theologicus graecus 31, the Vienna Genesis as of outstanding importance, an illuminated manuscript regarded and admired as a rare testimony of Late Antique art history. The manuscript, dated to the first half of the 6th century, consists of 48 preserved pages, written in Maiuscula Biblica in silver ink on purple parchment. It is illustrated with 48 miniatures produced in a city scriptorium of culture and sophistication like Antioch or Constantinople. It is one of the earliest known cycles of book miniatures from the Old Testament, a rare witness of Late Antique book culture. Since 1664, this magnificent codex has been preserved at the Imperial Court Library, today, the Austrian National Library in Vienna. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/41206
According to research done in the early 2020s, the Vienna Genesis is the incredible work of 7 different artists. Scholars came to this conclusion, by looking into each artist’s style, iconography, colour palette, pigments, and dyes. All artists involved in the illumination of the Vienna Genesis were trained in creating rich, and lively paintings in an authentic Late Antique style, suited for the sophisticated liking of an imperial patron. Painter E (folios 17–18, pages 33–36) has been identified as the artist who created the amazing miniature (folio 17, page 34) depicting The Pharaoh’s Birthday Banquet. This is a scene in the story of Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel, celebrated during Holy Monday. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/41206 pp. 232-235 and Age of Spirituality: Late Antique and Early Christian Art, Third to Seventh Century https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Age_of_Spirituality_Late_Antique_and_Early_Christian_Art_Third_to_Seventh_Century pp. 458-459
The Österreichische Nationalbibliothek of Vienna Digital Copy of the Vienna Genesis… Check https://onb.digital/search/324304
A PowerPoint of all artworks presented for the Holy Week in the Greek Orthodox Church, 2022… is HERE!
Lazarus Saturday – Σάββατο του Λαζάρου
Lazarus Saturday is commemorated in Byzantine art through the Yale glass cup depicting Christ raising Lazarus, a serene Early Christian scene symbolizing resurrection, hope, and divine power over death.