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editYuhanna al-Armani al-Qudsi (cca 1720 - 1786, Cairo, Ottoman Empire) was an artist of Armenian origin in Ottoman Egypt.[1] He is most notable for his religious works, especially his Coptic icons that decorate The Hanging Church in Old Cairo.
Biography
editLife
editBorn Ohem Karapetian in 1726 to an Armenian family residing in Jerusalem.[2][3] He would later change his first name to the more well known Arabic pronunciation Yuhanna and almost completely omit his given surname upon moving to Cairo.[2] In its stead he would add al-armani and al-qudsi paying homage to both his Armenian heritage as well as his home town of Jerusalem.[2][4] Yuhanna would die in Cairo in 1786.[3]
Career
editYuhanna worked in the Egyptian Coptic style of Icon painting, which at that point was a severely endangered art which may have been due to periods of hostile relationships with and persecution by the Muslim majority which also affected other aspects of Coptic culture such as the Coptic language.[5][4] However, during the 18th century due to some decline in Ottoman power within Egypt, as well as a shift in the Ottomans policy towards non-Muslims Copts and other Christians were able to exert a greater social presence which made a revival of the style possible.[2] Yuhanna's career was a successful one that was characterized by a close partnership with another Coptic icon painter known as Ibrahim al-nasikh(also known as Ibrahim the scribe) whom Yuhanna may have shared a workshop and even collaborated on some Icons with which is reflected in their works many stylistic similarities.[2][3][4][5][6] There is some debate over the actual nature of their partnership and there is evidence pointing to them having a more master apprentice relationship, with Ibrahim being the master and Yuhanna as the apprentice.[7] The style of Yuhanna and Ibrahims workshop was a unique regional style which shows evidence of having had been influenced and informed by post-Byzantine as well as Syrio-Palestinian style icons.[2] This influence can be seen in one of the more iconic aspects of their style which is the use of written text alongside the visuals, which functions as narration of the scene and provides other information such as names of the saints.[2] Their work was not only informed by external influences, but also their Egyptian surroundings particularly when it came to subject matter which were often saints that had particular importance to Egyptian Copts especially mounted warrior saints, which appear numerous times both in their work as well as in the work of other Egyptian Coptic Icons.[2][6]
Art Work
editIt is a painted wooden Icon depicting a mounted man in armor, presumably St. George, accompanied by two much smaller figures the moment that he is about to deliver the final blow defeating the dragon and saving the princess.[2] There is also the inclusion of Arabic and Coptic script at the top of the piece as well as at the bottom a mainstay of Yuhanna and Ibrahims style as well as indicative of post-Byzantine and Syrio-Palestinian influence.[2] This piece, like all Icons, was created as a devotional piece to St. George.
This piece is a painted wooden Icon seemingly depicting multiple narrative scenes with the largest and central scene most likely being the scene of great importance.[2] The central scene depicts a man of monumental size, presumable St. Behnam, with a crown, a Halo, and wearing fine clothing riding a horse facing the left hand side of the piece. The much smaller scenes depicting groups of people enacting various actions such as an army marching or people being anointed. The piece also includes the Arabic and Coptic script typical of Yuhanna and Ibrahims style.[2] This pieces intention was to tell the story of St. Benham.
Icon of St Onoprius (Abu Nofer) and the Ethiopian monk St Takla Haymanot 1754 C.E.
editThis piece is painted linen Icon on a wooden frame seemingly depicting two men one dressed in a plain tunic with unkempt hair and beard holding a a cross and the other man dressed in traditional Coptic dress holding a cane and a book.[2] The piece also includes sporadic Arabic and Coptic script typical of Yuhanna and Ibrahims style.[2] The piece was intended to be a devotional piece to these two saints.
References
edit- ^ Guirguis, Magdi (2008-04-15), "Egyptian Icons before Yuhanna al-Armani", An Armenian Artist in Ottoman CairoYuhanna al-Armani and His Coptic Icons, American University in Cairo Press, pp. 39–48, retrieved 2023-11-01
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Tribe, Tania C. (2004-01-27). "Icon and narration in eighteenth‐century Christian Egypt: the works of Yuhanna al‐Armani al‐Qudsi and Ibrahim al‐Nasikh". Art History. 27 (1): 62–94. doi:10.1111/j.0141-6790.2004.02701003.x. ISSN 0141-6790.
- ^ a b c Guirguis, Magdi (2008-04-15), "Egyptian Icons before Yuhanna al-Armani", An Armenian Artist in Ottoman CairoYuhanna al-Armani and His Coptic Icons, American University in Cairo Press, pp. 39–48, retrieved 2023-11-01
- ^ a b c Heyberger, Bernard (2018-09-01). "Le renouveau de l'image de religion chez les chrétiens orientaux". Archives de sciences sociales des religions (183): 191–205. doi:10.4000/assr.38853. ISSN 0335-5985.
- ^ a b Mulock, Cawthra (1946). The Icons of Yuhanna and Ibrahim The Scribe. Nicholson and Watson. pp. 9–14.
- ^ a b BOUD'HORS, Anne (1993-01-01). "La focalisation dans les dialectes coptes". Bulletin de la Société de Linguistique de Paris. 88 (1): 225–237. doi:10.2143/bsl.88.1.2013051. ISSN 0037-9069.
- ^ Baligh, Randa; Shalaby, Mostafa (2014-01-01). "A Comparison between Coptic Icons in Christian Churches and the Icons of the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai". Bulletin of the Center Papyrological Studies. 31 (1): 1–27. doi:10.21608/bcps.2014.24309. ISSN 2636-3186.