Description
When the Byzantine capital Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) was conquered during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, many Byzantine territories in Greece fell to lords from Western Europe. This small icon reflects the coexistence of western and Orthodox cultures in these regions. Its images are accompanied by Latin inscriptions. They depict, in somewhat abbreviated form and according to the conventions established by Byzantine artists, the main events of the New Testament (from top to bottom and left to right): the Nativity, Presentation in the Temple, Baptism, Raising of Lazarus, Entry into Jerusalem, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Women at the Tomb, Resurrection, Pentecost, and Ascension. Below, Sts. Matthew, Peter, Paul, and Luke (identified by their Greek initials) flank a throne prepared for Christ's Second Coming.
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