i c The Iconography of the Archangel Michael on Byzantine Icons By , \.: Glenn Alan Peers " A thesis submitted to 1 the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research . .' 1n partial fulfillment of the requ1rements for the degree of Master of Arts. ,. Department of Art His,tory McGill University q September 1986 ô Montreal, Quebec, Canada " .' • 0 ., .. L , " perm?-r.ion ha. been granted L'autorisation a été accordée', to the National Library of à la Bibliothèque nationàle èanada to microfilm this du Canada de~'microfi1mer thesis and to lend o~ sell cet t~ .1rpèse -et de prêter ou 5 opi;es C?~ the f!lm.' l • de vèhdre des exemplaires du .. <' 1' .."',--; film. The.author (copyright owner) L'auteur -(titull!ire du droit " . .- "'Q. r' li a s r e~s e r v e dot h e'r d'auteur) se réserve les publica'tion rights, and autres droits de publication: 1 neither the thesis nor ni la thèse ni de longs extensive extrac~s from it extraits de celle-ci ne May .be printed Or othe.rwise . doivent être imprimés ou reproduced without his/her autrement reproduits sans son writt.en permission. autorisation écrite.- ,- - 1 SBN 0-315':'38148-S .- " '\ " . , / 1 .~ Q '. )-~ Â... "-. \, " \. '---- ~ "' :: . " • '. 4 The Iconography of the Archangel Michael on Byzantine Icons 1 • 1 , 1 , 1 . " , ... ~" , , 11 ABSTRIACT " - ' • , .. Certairi~character1stics of the Archangel Michael that are found on • "9 . , B'yzànt1.ne and post-Byzantine icons contribute 'ta our understanding10f l ' the importance of Michael's cult. These icons describè,to a ·large e'xtent tne role of, the Archangel in or'thodox belief. Hé i8 1dentlfied as a member' of tt celest"ial court, and a1so as the leader of the '" heavenly host:' hus, he ..1. th,' 'protector of the fà1thful 'and' the ." Cl . \ performer of miracles on ,their behalf. oOn yet another g~f icons he 1s the angel psychopomp, or the bearer of the soul 'sfter death • • . These icons indicate' ~he s1gnificance of the cult of Michael anq help . .. --- d ,U8 understa~d better'his place 1~ doctr~ne~ liturgy and pçpula;.be11ef. • • .. , 1 , , ... , " " " ç\ • , ':" ,j , .. .. "- 1 . ", , -- .... ... / , 4 \ , . • .... " .' . c:;. \ • 1 , -- " 42 , Iii . - , " . ABREGE " '. .. .' . Certaines c"ara,cteris,tiques de l'Archange Miçhel, qui sont . d~crites sur les i'c8,nes .... de l' ~poque B~antine et post-Byzantinè', contr!butent à notre connaissance du culte de st. -Michel. ces ic8nes !> l , \ d8crivent dans une .large m~sure. le r6le de l'Archange dans la croyance . ~ orl:hodolC@' • Il est represent~ comme un membre de la cour céleste et comme.' ~hef de 1" h8te c61este. Aussi 1 il est le protecteur', des G:royants et i~ accomp;li t des 41\iraéle.s pour eux. En outre f dans une , groupe d' ic$nes ~ 'il est i ' ange Psychopompé on le porteur de 1 ï âme .. , . , (lprê, la mort. Ces ic6nes indiquent la portEe du culte de St. Michel et nous aident ,cl mieux comprendre sa'p~ace dans la dq,ctrine, la 0 r. 11. ~urlgi.e et la \Croyance pop~laire. ~ .. 'h .If • " • -, ~ " i , -, ~ ~ ? t .. , , " .,. '. , . " .. t - '. .... , . : '1 ,- " {' .. or ... .. 1 Ackn~wlejlg~ments. '1 wish to thank Professor' G. Galavaris without whose adv!ce and guidance this tnesis would not have been possible. 1 would a180 -Itke 1 ~ to thank- Profellsor R. Bertos for his encouragement. 0 ...L. The assistance of the Department of ArtoHistory Slide' Lil:\ratian, Carol Jackman, was invaluable and 1 should llke to thank. ber here. " ,,0 " " ' , - 'Y . , "... • ,- . .. • • '1 ", ." = . ',. o " ' . .. ' .. f . : . ,- - vi • /' > LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS " - D l' . 1. London" British Museum, Leaf of an ivory diptych with an " , , - arch~ngel. First half of the sixth century. 42.8 x ,14 .3em., \ (Source: Weitzmann, The Age of Spirituality.] 2. Veniee, Pala d'Oro~ Detail: the Arch§ngel Michael on cloisonn~ enamel ~th precioùs stones. Tw~lfth eentury. Cen'..ral plaque of the upper reg~""eri~he 'high d tar of San Marco. 34 .6"'x 34. 6cm • • [Source: M. Muraro, and A. Grabar. Treasures of Venice. Geneva, - 1963·1 3. Ven1ee, Treasury of San Marco. Full 1ength Arehanse~ Mic,haft. ~,Rêpoussê reU.ef in gold, with en8{Dels. Tenth or eleventh eentury. ) " ,.40'.'18 x 'JO.9cm. [Source: M. Muraro, and A. Grabar. Treasures of Veniee. Geneva, 1963.] 4. Berne, Private collection. Full length ~rehangel Michael •. 1749. ·83.5 x 3i.Sem. [Source: M. Chatzidakis. Les 1c8nes dans les < collections suisses. Bern. 1~68.) 5. Veniee, Hellen1e Institute. Full ~ength Arehangel Michael. End of the s1xteenth century. 62.S x 47;Scm. [Source: M. ,C~atzidakis. IcOnes de St-George-des-Grecs et la collection de l'institut., . Veniee, n.d.] 1 ~ 6. Sinal, Monastery of St.-Catherine's.Miracle of Michael at ChoQe. il Firat ,half of twelfth" , century. 37.5 x 30.7em. [Source: t' . We1tzmann, The,Icon.] l ' - - , ' \ , 0,.' f' vU 7. Venice, Hellenic Institute. Full len'gth Archangel 1>lichael. Etghteenth centu:~ 32.5 x 2~Gm •• [SQtfrce: M. Chatzidakis. IcOnes de St-George-des-GrecS .e.t. la collection de l r institut. 'ienice, n. d.] 8. Pisa, 'M'uSeo Civico. full length Archangel Michael. "'ôurteenth centuty. 28.6 x 21.65cm. [Source: V. Lazare'ff. "Ducçio and t • Thirteenth. Cent ury Gree k r Icons. .. Bur fington Magazine 59 (1931) 154-li9. J .' .1' ''1.. '. --'1 .~ . -• ,.,. ".... ". ~ ... o -- • fI· ..' ". r , \ • viii , 1 ABBREVIATIONS~ MSS' Acta Sanctorum. Ed. J. Bollandus et al. 64 vols. - Paris, 1863 - 1910, DACL Dictionnaire dt arcMo1ogie chrêtlenne et de - li turgie. Eds.- F. Cabrol and H. Leclerq. 15 vols. Paris, 1924-. , .. Daremberg and (J Dictionnaire des antiquids Grecques et Romains Q, Saglio iprtis les texts et les monuments. Eds. c.v. Daremberg, E. 5aglio. 5 vols. Paris, 1877-1917 • .. (.',,., -, Dionysius of Dionysius of Fourna EPlJTlVEI.-Cl Tf1!; Zwypaqll.xns Texvns. Fourna. ed. A. Papadopoulos - Kerameus St. Pet'ersb~rg, 1909. DTC Dictionnaire de tht!010gie catholique. Eds. A. Vacant .. E. ,Mangenot. Wi vols. Paris, 1899-1950 • • G&lavaris, The G. Galavaris. The Icon in The LHe pf The Church. Icon 'in theLife Doctrine, Liturgy,'llevotion. Leiden, 1981. of the Church . \ Ginzberg, Legends L. Ginzberg. Legends of the Jews, 7 vols. Phll~del phia, 1913. • Goodenough, E. R. Goodenough. Jewish Symbols in the Greco-Roman Jewish Sols Period,. 13 vols. New York, 1956. Grabar, A. Grabar. L'Empereur dans l'art byzantin,. L'Empereur Strasbourg, 1936. Reprinted in 1964. , Kitzinger, E. Kitzinger. Byzantine Art in the Makins,. Byzantine Art Main l1nes of st listfc develo ment in Mediterranean ~ , t.3rd to 7th Ce~tury. Cambridge, Mass., 1977. o P.w. Paufyl s Real - encyclopadie der classischen - Altertumswissenschaft': Eds. A. F. Paul)"') G. Wissowa. 24 Vols. Stuttgart, 1894-1963,. , 0 RAC Realléxikon f~r Antike und Christentum. Ed. - T. Klauser. 12, VQls!,\.teipdg, 1941 .!. Q RBK Reallexikon zur byzantlschen Kunst. to date - 4 vols. Stuttgart, 1963 -. , ., "" " Sotirièru G. & M./ Sotiriou. EI..XO·'ES, Tns MO\)Tl~ Iwa.- o 1:CODS • 2 vol~~ Athens, 1956. , t , t l .. ... .. ix , , -~D''. , " \ Wei tzmann, ~ K. Weit.zmann ed. ASe of Spirituality. LatJ of 'Spirituality Antique and Earll Chris-tian Art, Third to Seventh ...~ Century. Catalogue of the Exhibition a1: The Metropol1tan M~seum of Art, November 19, 1977 . Through February 12 t 1978. New York, 1979. Wei1:zmann et al., K. "Weitzmann et aL Icons from Southeastern IcoDs Europe and 5ina1. London, 1968. Wei tzmaun, K. Wei tzmann. "The Classical in By-zantine Art "Classical" as a Mode of Individual Expression."".. Byzantine,. Art. An European Art. LectuFes. Athens, 1966. pp.~ 149-177. ( Weitzmann, K. Wei tzmann ... ' The Icon. London, 1978. " The Icon (1978) ~ " ~ Weitzmann et al., K. Weitzmann et. al. The Icon. ~w York, 1982. " The Icon (1982) 1 ( .. \ t • .'\ - \ • . " ~~ • ~ .. ~ D " " 0 •• ., , . • j: (. ) c x PREFAM In this thesis l shall attempt. to describe the figure of t'he 1 Archangel Michael by means of t'he lco~ography found on Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons. In order ta analyze the context of these icons '" , it i8 nec,ssary ~o sJpplement my discussion with examples from other media, 'and to see these .... representations in the light of the doctrine . '" ( and l1turg,y of, ~he Orthodox Church. The Judaic and Greco-Roman traditions .. to whi,ch the Chrisr-ian cult of Michael is related, will also bè examined~ - T~e scope of this thesis will not allow a discussion of Russian----- icons. The subject 18 vast and it offers" added comp-Iexities to the toa!.c h~"::.-lll:'l~ of tht'! Inany' variations found in the R~ssian Church., j However, l have added examples to the notes and at two occasions l have . found it useful to mention Russian icons within a Byzantine contexte By n~cessity &Ome j.cons of the post-Byzantine pe"rioà-h-ave been <& tnalud.~d because the continuity of t~e .orthodox faith ensures a constancy of ~iconography that can be c-onsiderec;i within this thesis. " 1 Tnis Is -aIl the mo're nece';'Sllry. on account of the :l.ack,.., of early icons of Michael still extant, but these ~ate icons bear testimony to the . enduring importance oJ the Arc~arigel Hlchael in the Church. The division into chapters in tlii:s' thesls is determihed by the . , dist:fJnct functions a,ssigned tO Mlc~ael and whic!l, are described on icons. Under sep~rate headings l will discu~ss t;he various iconoaraRhical elements that together comprise the c~ar~cter of 1 Micha~l within the iâf$ér historieal and religious contexte / /.-- ( , 'i CHAPTER 1 -- MICHAEL IN THE eELESTa,L HIERARCHY The ce~tral role of the ~ion of angels and archangels was the service of God,' the supreme power of the universe, and the performance of His will bath in heaven and on earth.