Text, Folio 93 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Byzantine icon painting Classical Antiquity

Dominant colour

Text, Folio 93 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is a 14 unspecified by Unknown, a Byzantine icon painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 14 · Byzantine icon painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This is a long, narrow, horizontal painting with a light-brown background. The painting is divided into three sections, each containing a grid of black text. The text is written in a language that appears to be Sanskrit or a similar script. The text is densely packed, with each line overlapping the one below it. The grid pattern is uniform, with each section containing the same number of lines and characters. The text is written in a flowing script, with many curved lines and flourishes. The painting is a beautiful example of calligraphy and typography. The use of a grid pattern adds a sense of order and structure to the text, while the flowing script gives it a sense of movement and energy. To learn more about this technique, look up sfumato.