About this work
This shrine in the Church of Bet Emmanuel (House of Jesus) features three images from different schools of art. What they have in common is they depict Jesus. The largest image is the painting in the lower left.
Original catalogue wording
This shrine in the Church of Bet Emmanuel (House of Jesus) features three images from different schools of art. What they have in common is they depict Jesus. The largest image is the painting in the lower left. It is rendered in the style of traditional Ethiopian Christian Orthodox art. I am utterly smitten by the brightly-colored fabrics depicted in the painting, featuring geometric designs in white and other bright colors. Between the lines of geometric designs and the folds in the fabric, what would otherwise be a static image is full of motion. I don't think its a coincidence that the intricate design on the frame strongly echoes the blue-and-white border of the Virgin Mary's blouse. The small image at the top of the photo also depicts the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. Unless Ethiopian Christian Orthodox art has evolved in ways I didn't learn about on my visit, I'm inclined to t
Source classification: icon
- Date
- Not recorded in the catalogue
- Object type
- Icons & panel paintings
- Recorded place
- Ethiopia
- Holding institution
- The British Museum