Papers by Branislav Cvetkovic
Zbornik Narodnog muzeja XVIII-1, 2005
The article deals with identification of the level from the Regional Museum in Jagodina, with ref... more The article deals with identification of the level from the Regional Museum in Jagodina, with references from bibliography and with parallels.
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Niš & Byzantium XXII, 2024
This essay explores portrayals of female wielders of power in Byzantium in order to analyze usage... more This essay explores portrayals of female wielders of power in Byzantium in order to analyze usage of regalia in context of the cases of regency. Research of the vast material of wall paintings, miniatures, coinage and seals reveals that different groups of female royals shared various insignia among which some were usually met on images of emperors.
The conclusion can be drawn that imperial consorts, regents, empress mothers and empresses-regnant were depicted with various regalia with no particular item alone being decisive in displaying prominent Byzantine feminine and their crucial roles or outstanding impact as mothers of heirs, co-rulers of their sons emperors, regents, rulers of their own, and also providers of legitimacy for new emperors.
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ZMSLU 29, 2011
pdf s ispravkom u transkripciji natpisa
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Glasnik DKS 19, 1995
The bronze plaque from the church of St George in Ćuprija, Serbia, used to be kept in the Regiona... more The bronze plaque from the church of St George in Ćuprija, Serbia, used to be kept in the Regional Museum in Jagodina from 1970 to 1994, when it was reinstated in its original location.
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Glasnik DKS 19, 1995
On discovery of the Ottoman bath (hamam) from 1550s in Jagodina, Serbia.
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Kruševački zbornik 14, 2009
The author sets an analysis by firstly examining ornamental motifs in the well-known headpiece il... more The author sets an analysis by firstly examining ornamental motifs in the well-known headpiece illustration of the Synaxarion in the 13th C. Bulgarian manuscript Gospels of Dobreysho. With structure made of interlaces and of intertwined circles and palmettes, it has long been a matter of scholarly attention, due to following inscription written above it: this is the Heaven, also called Paradise, which clarifies its meaning. In order to uncover the actual origin of the motifs, the author surveys a huge body of comparative material scrutinizing existing methods in research of both function and sense of medieval Byzantine ornament. The issue of
terminology is firstly questioned, as being mirrored in free associations used in descriptions (headpieces as “carpets”), in unfounded typology (classification of ornaments as geometric, floral or animal), and in superficiality of “norms” (palmettes, acanthus, lily, etc). Given the immense significance of etymology of terms denoting ornament in various languages, which has been traced in a number of scholarly works, the author puts forward his argument that the sense of “ornament” in a sacred context was never purely or only decorative, but that its basic role was to denote sacredness of a particular space and/or presence of God.
Various examples from all periods of Byzantine art corroborate the thesis, from the manuscript illumination and wall paintings (in Cappadocia, Russia, Balkans), to revetments and backgrounds of icons. Herbert Kessler's recent research of Judaeo-Christian symbolsparadigms points to essential value of OT Tabernacle images from manuscripts of Christian
Topography in producing sources of symbolic motifs to appear in multiple later instances. Although not much varied, the motifs always form a structural unit (starry or flowery fields, interlace or diaper schemes, checkerboards). They originate from the coffered ceilings of antique tombs and temples signifying Heavens and Elysium, and reappear with identical forms in medieval art. The author analyzes the neglected segment of the portrait miniature from the Gospels of Jacob, the Metropolitan of Serres, perhaps the most obvious testimony to the meaning the diapered pattern with flower motifs had for the medieval people and their artists, as well as hitherto overlooked example from the headpiece preceeding the Ten Commandments chapter in the Codex of Hval, with textual explanatory inscription similar to the one from Gospels of Dobreysho.
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Koreni V, 2007
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Koreni VII, 2010
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Koreni VI, 2008
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Holy King Milutin and his Age: History, Literature, Art: Thematic Collection of Papers from the International Scientific Conference 'King Milutin and the Palaeologan Age: History, Literature, Cultural Heritage,' Skopje, October 24-26, 2021., 2023
This paper revisits portraits of Stefan Uroš II Milutin as prince, ruler, and holy king exploring... more This paper revisits portraits of Stefan Uroš II Milutin as prince, ruler, and holy king exploring historical contexts and intended meanings within various conceptual and spatial settings. These official examples of his royal likeness come into different forms with the King shown either in
prayer or frontally positioned, holding royal insignia or representation of a
church, and in symbolic exchanges with saintly figures or contemporaries.
Immediate political context influenced such variables of portrayals, which
is why such images comprise wealthy but not fully appreciated sources that elucidate complex events from the volatile history of the medieval Balkans.
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Spaces of Memory. Collection of Works. Tome 1. Architecture, 2013
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THE MIDDLE AGES IN SERBIAN SCIENCE, HISTORY, LITERATURE AND ARTS XIII, 2023
The article firstly presents an overview of research on the Serbian Psalter which is kept in the ... more The article firstly presents an overview of research on the Serbian Psalter which is kept in the State Bavarian Library in Munich since 1810, including an insight into the problems of psalter studies in contemporary medieval studies. This is followed by an analysis of interlace ornaments painted in front of Psalm I, whose semantic potential has not been taken into account in previous literature. The analysis of both the interlace header and the interlace surrounding the author portrait of David accompanied by the Holy Spirit as a young winged figure reveal deep symbolism which points to sacred meaning of ornaments and their close connection with the celestial kingdom of Logos. The next part deals with a critical review of frequent historicizing of the miniature painted next to the verse VI of Psalm CL and the author argues against identification of crowned personages as portraits of Serbian rulers. The last part of the text provides an attempt to determine the context in which this precious manuscript was created. The stylistic and iconographic features of the Munich Psalter, based on watermarks dating after 1390, provide strong basis for attribution of the codex to Stefan Lazarević. Further clues found in the details such as the heraldic double headed eagle and the bull head with horns may testify to historicizing of the miniatures and connection of the manuscript with this learned ruler. Also, the author suggests that one more miniature may have historical background, the one painted within the Psalm CXLIX, 1 which renders Christian saintly hermits along aristocrats dressed in medieval manner in front of a five-domed church. The central position within this group is occupied by a frontal, haloed and belted figure of an older aristocrat who, together with the church building, may stand for the father of Stefan Lazarević and his mausoleum monastery church.
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Niš & Byzantium XXI, 2023
The article deals with chronology issues of Ravanica, the monastery with two parts of fortified w... more The article deals with chronology issues of Ravanica, the monastery with two parts of fortified walls, precincts and katholikon, but also with dating wall paintings in the nave, narthex, and tower chapel. Paucity of sources, flawed documentation and insufficient research complicate these issues. After new perusal of sources, material and fieldwork the author argues the process of the monastery formation and decoration took longer than is usually thought.
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THE MIDDLE AGES IN SERBIAN SCIENCE, HISTORY, LITERATURE AND ARTS XII, 2022
The paper deals with dating issues for the few portraits of Vuk Lazarević in wall paintings (last... more The paper deals with dating issues for the few portraits of Vuk Lazarević in wall paintings (last decade of the 14th to the second decade of the 15th Centuries) and also with establishment of their appropriate historical context. It firstly addresses various primary sources on this significant historical figure and his controversial role in the Balkan history of the late Middle Ages, providing long survey of the diplomatic material, epigraphy, archaeological finds, coinage, sphragistics as well as hagiographies, genealogies and chronicles. The text then refers to the fresco portraits stressing their importance as primary sources which hitherto have not been acknowledged enough. The family portraits in Ravanica are analyzed taking account of the monastery complex as a whole. Due to new insights and neglected sources the portraits are dated 1389 to 1393, when Princess Milica was regent to her minor sons. The overlooked content of insignia, as well as adjacent figures of St Simeon Nemanja and St Paul of Thebes, enable fresh grounds for such a dating. The portrait of Vuk Lazarević in Rudenice is analyzed in context of his joint rule with his brother despot Stefan as co-ruler, but it proposes the frescoes be dated after 1405 and death of their mother Milica due to specific details in their portrayals reflecting issues of their relationship that led to their discord, civil war, and partition of country. The portrait in Ljubostinja is dated to ca 1413, and explained as the likeness of Vuk Lazarević depicted after his demise in Turkish captivity. Also, it has been hypothesized the portrait is facing a cenotaph intended for establishment of the cult of Prince Vuk. The text also makes mention that another portrait of Vuk may exist in Veluće on which the author of the article has been working for some time.
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THE MIDDLE AGES IN SERBIAN SCIENCE, HISTORY, LITERATURE AND ARTS XI, 2021
The text gives an overview of research of the royal portrait of the Serbian ruler, despot Stefan ... more The text gives an overview of research of the royal portrait of the Serbian ruler, despot Stefan Lazarević, painted on the west wall of the nave in his Resava monastery, as well as an analysis of several controversial details that have been inadequately interpreted in scholarship. The paper firstly addresses basic insignia (crown, scepter, sakkos, loros), which have been dealt with by scholars as being items that were adapted from Byzantine imperial signs and costumes. The text then focuses on rare weaponry investiture of the ruler who is shown between the two angels presenting him with a sword and a spear. The discussion proceeds to possible meaning of the mantle and then to complex issues of unusual form of the painted church model. The main part of the article concerns erroneous descriptions of Christ in the celestial segment, and minute analyses of the inscription on the scroll held by despot Stefan, the text of the royal legend written around the portrait, and the imagery of lions on the suppedion.
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Meanings and Functions of the Ruler’s Image in the Mediterranean World (11th–15th Centuries), The Medieval Mediterranean. Peoples, Economies and Cultures, 400-1500, ed. F. Andrews, Volume 130, Brill, eds. M. Bacci, M. Studer-Karlen, M. Vagnoni, Leiden – Boston, 2022
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Towards the Research of "Disgusied Portrait" in Medieval Painting, 2005
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Краљ Милутин и доба Палеолога: Историја, књижевност, културно наслеђе, међународни научни скуп, 2... more Краљ Милутин и доба Палеолога: Историја, књижевност, културно наслеђе, међународни научни скуп, 24. - 26.октобар 2021, Скопље (Kњига резимеа) / Крал Милутин и доба на Палеолозите: Историја, книжевност, културно наследство. Меѓународен научен собир 24-26 октомври 2021 Скопје (Книга со резимеа) / King Milutin and the Palaeologan Age: History, Literature, Cultural Heritage, International Scientific Conference, 24 – 26 October 2021 [BOOK OF RESUMES]
King Milutin and the Palaeologan Age International Conference will be held ONLINE. Organizing Committee has re-evaluated the current pandemic situation and taken a definitive decision. We hope that you will be able to join us on Zoom, and look forward to seeing you in October 2021.
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Byzance et ses voisins, XIIIe-XVe siècle: art, identité, pouvoir, ed. E. Yota, 2021
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Papers by Branislav Cvetkovic
The conclusion can be drawn that imperial consorts, regents, empress mothers and empresses-regnant were depicted with various regalia with no particular item alone being decisive in displaying prominent Byzantine feminine and their crucial roles or outstanding impact as mothers of heirs, co-rulers of their sons emperors, regents, rulers of their own, and also providers of legitimacy for new emperors.
terminology is firstly questioned, as being mirrored in free associations used in descriptions (headpieces as “carpets”), in unfounded typology (classification of ornaments as geometric, floral or animal), and in superficiality of “norms” (palmettes, acanthus, lily, etc). Given the immense significance of etymology of terms denoting ornament in various languages, which has been traced in a number of scholarly works, the author puts forward his argument that the sense of “ornament” in a sacred context was never purely or only decorative, but that its basic role was to denote sacredness of a particular space and/or presence of God.
Various examples from all periods of Byzantine art corroborate the thesis, from the manuscript illumination and wall paintings (in Cappadocia, Russia, Balkans), to revetments and backgrounds of icons. Herbert Kessler's recent research of Judaeo-Christian symbolsparadigms points to essential value of OT Tabernacle images from manuscripts of Christian
Topography in producing sources of symbolic motifs to appear in multiple later instances. Although not much varied, the motifs always form a structural unit (starry or flowery fields, interlace or diaper schemes, checkerboards). They originate from the coffered ceilings of antique tombs and temples signifying Heavens and Elysium, and reappear with identical forms in medieval art. The author analyzes the neglected segment of the portrait miniature from the Gospels of Jacob, the Metropolitan of Serres, perhaps the most obvious testimony to the meaning the diapered pattern with flower motifs had for the medieval people and their artists, as well as hitherto overlooked example from the headpiece preceeding the Ten Commandments chapter in the Codex of Hval, with textual explanatory inscription similar to the one from Gospels of Dobreysho.
prayer or frontally positioned, holding royal insignia or representation of a
church, and in symbolic exchanges with saintly figures or contemporaries.
Immediate political context influenced such variables of portrayals, which
is why such images comprise wealthy but not fully appreciated sources that elucidate complex events from the volatile history of the medieval Balkans.
King Milutin and the Palaeologan Age International Conference will be held ONLINE. Organizing Committee has re-evaluated the current pandemic situation and taken a definitive decision. We hope that you will be able to join us on Zoom, and look forward to seeing you in October 2021.
The conclusion can be drawn that imperial consorts, regents, empress mothers and empresses-regnant were depicted with various regalia with no particular item alone being decisive in displaying prominent Byzantine feminine and their crucial roles or outstanding impact as mothers of heirs, co-rulers of their sons emperors, regents, rulers of their own, and also providers of legitimacy for new emperors.
terminology is firstly questioned, as being mirrored in free associations used in descriptions (headpieces as “carpets”), in unfounded typology (classification of ornaments as geometric, floral or animal), and in superficiality of “norms” (palmettes, acanthus, lily, etc). Given the immense significance of etymology of terms denoting ornament in various languages, which has been traced in a number of scholarly works, the author puts forward his argument that the sense of “ornament” in a sacred context was never purely or only decorative, but that its basic role was to denote sacredness of a particular space and/or presence of God.
Various examples from all periods of Byzantine art corroborate the thesis, from the manuscript illumination and wall paintings (in Cappadocia, Russia, Balkans), to revetments and backgrounds of icons. Herbert Kessler's recent research of Judaeo-Christian symbolsparadigms points to essential value of OT Tabernacle images from manuscripts of Christian
Topography in producing sources of symbolic motifs to appear in multiple later instances. Although not much varied, the motifs always form a structural unit (starry or flowery fields, interlace or diaper schemes, checkerboards). They originate from the coffered ceilings of antique tombs and temples signifying Heavens and Elysium, and reappear with identical forms in medieval art. The author analyzes the neglected segment of the portrait miniature from the Gospels of Jacob, the Metropolitan of Serres, perhaps the most obvious testimony to the meaning the diapered pattern with flower motifs had for the medieval people and their artists, as well as hitherto overlooked example from the headpiece preceeding the Ten Commandments chapter in the Codex of Hval, with textual explanatory inscription similar to the one from Gospels of Dobreysho.
prayer or frontally positioned, holding royal insignia or representation of a
church, and in symbolic exchanges with saintly figures or contemporaries.
Immediate political context influenced such variables of portrayals, which
is why such images comprise wealthy but not fully appreciated sources that elucidate complex events from the volatile history of the medieval Balkans.
King Milutin and the Palaeologan Age International Conference will be held ONLINE. Organizing Committee has re-evaluated the current pandemic situation and taken a definitive decision. We hope that you will be able to join us on Zoom, and look forward to seeing you in October 2021.
Izložena građa obuhvata dela izvedena u različitom materijalu, od mermera, drveta, bronze, gvožđa i gline, preko gipsa, keramike, terakote, do kombinovanih materijala, poliestera ili kamenine, kao i drugačijim tehnikama, od vajanja, duboreza, punog ili šupljeg liva, kovanja, varenja, rezanja ili poliranja. Takođe, odabrana građa otkriva širok spektar stilskih pravaca i hronoloških faza u srpskoj, kao i u jugoslovenskoj umetnosti.