Artwork
Head of Christ
Head of Christ is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Emmanuel Tzanes. It dates from 1663 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts Jesus Christ in a frontal bust, rendered in tempera with gold-leaf highlights on a wooden panel.
The work depicts Jesus Christ in a frontal bust, rendered in tempera with gold-leaf highlights on a wooden panel. The serene expression, downcast eyes, and austerely elongated face conform to the Cretan-school conventions, derived from Byzantine models, for representing the incarnate divine. The gold-leaf nimbus identifies the sacred figure and signals the painting's devotional function within Orthodox practice, where the gaze invites contemplation of Christ's dual nature as both human and God.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1663, Emmanuel Tzanes's Head of Christ is a religious panel painting belonging to the Cretan school tradition. The artist employed tempera paint combined with gold leaf applied to a wooden panel support, a characteristic medium for icons of this period. The work depicts the face of Jesus Christ with a formal, devotional focus typical of the genre.
Physically, the painting measures approximately 21.3 cm in height and 18.1 cm in width. The stylistic approach reflects the handling and aesthetic conventions of the Cretan movement, using the durable tempera technique to render the sacred subject, with gold leaf highlighting the divine presence and the panel providing a rigid foundation for the delicate tempera application.
History & Provenance
Head of Christ is a panel painting executed in tempera and gold leaf on a wooden support by the Cretan-school artist Emmanuel Tzanes in 1663. It is a religious image depicting Jesus Christ and is now part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting measures 21.3 by 18.1 centimeters overall, with the central image field spanning 8.4 by 7.1 centimeters.
Beyond its documented creation date, medium, and current custody, the available records do not provide further information on an original commission or prior ownership, nor a specific accession number or exhibition history.
Overview
Emmanuel Tzanes, a Greek clergyman and icon painter, completed Head of Christ in 1663. This tempera painting portrays Jesus Christ, reflecting the artist's adherence to Byzantine iconographic traditions. The work is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection and subtly incorporates stylistic elements from Venetian painting, a result of Tzanes's residency in Venice.
Context
Emmanuel Tzanes was a prominent Greek iconographer and a member of the clergy during the Renaissance period. While deeply rooted in the Byzantine tradition of religious art, his work, including Head of Christ, shows an awareness of Western European styles. His time spent in Venice exposed him to local painting techniques, which he integrated into his established iconographic practice, creating a distinctive synthesis of East and West.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Emmanuel Tzanes (Greek: Εμμανουήλ Τζάνες; 1610 – 28 March 1690), also known as Bounialis (Greek: Μπουνιαλής), Emmanuel Tzane-Bounialis, Emmanuel Zane, or Emmanuel Tzane, was a Greek Renaissance iconographer, author, clergyman, and educator.
Isus Pantocrator, redat 3/4, binecuvântând cu mâna dreaptă(prin unirea degetului mare cu cel inelar), în stânga ținând cartea sfântă cu textul consacrat, în slavonă(Veniți la mine toți cei oropsiți...).această reprezentare a lui Iisus binecuvântând, cu Evanghelia deschisă, corespunde în iconografia bizantină lui Iisus Învățător, sau Hristos Ușa, icoană amplasată în stânga ușilor împărătești. Conform erminiilor, Iisus Pantocrator este redat cu Evanghelia închisă.Expresia sobră, tristă, ochii mari, părul castaniu, lung, cu cărare pe mijloc, lăsat inegal pe umeri, mustățile și barba scurte. Poartă un veșmânt cu mâneci largi cu motive florale ample, în volute(foiță argintată), interstiții umplute cu portocaliu și galben. La mâneci, klav și la gât motive geometrice în formă de zigzag și val. Aureola (nimb cruciger) depășește spațiul chenarelor, trasată cu o linie de culoare roșie, dublată pe unele porțiuni cu o altă linie de culoare albă, în interior cu motive florale și puncte incizate în stratul de foiță metalică aurită. Inscripțiile consacrate: "eu sunt alfa și omega". Dublu chenar, motive geometrice: linii, puncte și zigzaguri între două linii fin incizate pe marginea foiței, la exterior bandă vișinie cu linii albe. Inscripțiile în chenare dreptunghiulare însoțite de motive fitomorfe incizate. Cromatica: alb, galben, roșu, auriu, brun, negru, foiță metalică; Bordura o înscrie în icoanele tip Krashnuska(înroșitele).
Christ
Iisus Hristos Pantocrator
Iisus Hristos Învățător
“Mica Deisis” ; Icoană împărătească Mica Deisis; Icoană împărătească
Isus Hristos Pantocrator
Iisus Hristos Învățător, flancat de apostoli
Deisis
Iisus Hristos Învățător