Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice

shop. Dissemination of such formulae may even have caused decoration of
this type to occur on the back sides of icons in the collection of St. Catherine's
Monastery at Sinai (7). However, these Sinaitic panels are skillfully
made from imported wood; and they are analogous to many Byzantine icons
preserved in Europe, rather than to the Coptic icons (8).
The icon supports in the Nile valley must have been made according to a
different studio tradition. According to their technology, they clearly fit into
the context of native (presumably Coptic) practice. Furthermore, the majority
of the previously mentioned technical characteristics can be traced back to
the industries and materials of Graeco-Roman and Pharaonic Egypt (9).
Two medieval beam icons
Figure 2a, b. One of two cuts, top, showing
medalliollS of all arChat1gel alld an Old Testament
prophet; m'ld Blessing Christ, depicted
ill the central medal/ioll, below. Photographs
by Z. Skalova.
Two unique beam icons in the church of St. Mercurius Abu's-Saifain may be
singled out for discussion. This church was the seat of the Coptic patriarchy
in the Middle Ages and it is likely that both sacred pictures were made for
it (10).
The first icon, The Virgin with Child Enthroned between Archangels, Nine Church
Fathers and Nine Coptic Monks, measures 44.5 X 246.5 cm, and is shown in
Plate 17 and Figures 3 (left) and 4a, b. The second icon, Six Equestrian Saints
(originally ten saints), measures 45 X 207.5 cm and is shown in Plates 18a,
b and in Figures 2a, b; 3 (right); and 4c-e. The two icons will be referred to
here as beam A and beam B, respectively.
Thanks to Butler's description and drawing, the conservation history of these
two icons can be traced back more than a century (Fig. 3). Both icons were
repeatedly restored. Beam A is preserved in its original form, which has
helped in reconstructing the structurally altered beam B. Butler counted only
four horsemen in beam B (Fig. 3, right). Today, remarkably, beam B consists
of six horsemen. Some time in the past, this longitudinal icon was cut into
pieces. Meanwhile, two more horsemen from the original beam were added
to Butler's fragment (Figs. 2a, 4c).
The equestrian saints are depicted in sculptured and gilded arches that carry
eleven alternating medallions with Old Testament prophets, archangels, and
the blessing Christ. Each horseman is identified by inscriptions in Coptic and
Arabic.
Additionally, the symmetry of beam B is marred by the fact that the six holy
horsemen are riding in conflicting directions. It is obvious that their initial
order and number have been changed. Two cuts, visible in the restored panel,
confirm this observation (Fig. 4c). Such an intervention must have been the
work of a person who failed to understand the symbolism of this picture. It
seems unlikely that these saints were arranged to gallop away from the Savior
instead of toward him, as is proper in a hieratic composition. Christ, depicted
en buste in one of the medallions, can be seen on Butler's fragment (Fig. 2b).
If the placement of Christ's medallion is accepted as being in the middle of
the beam icon, the number of horsemen comes to ten. When reconstructed,
beam B should be about 350 cm long (Fig. 4e). Clearly, both beams were
conceived together to form part of broader didactic program.
A peculiar aspect of both paintings is their carpentry. They are assembled
from irregularly cut horizontal pieces, three across the width and nine across
the length (Figures 4b and 4d). Additional sculptured arches are nailed on the
front. On the reverse, vertically placed traverses hold the planks together. Both
\lnnooonnl llnoOOII
FiJ!urc 3. Bea1l1 A (lift); bealll B (riJ!ht). Drawillg by A!fred BIIIler, 1884.
86
Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice