Global InformationIcon of Christ of Latomos information
| Icon of Christ of Latomos | |
|---|---|
| The Miracle of Latomos, Icon of Latomos, Greek: Το θαύμα του Λοτομού | |
| Artist | Unknown |
| Year | 5th century |
| Medium | Mosaic |
| Subject | Jesus Christ and the prophecy of Ezekiel |
| Location | Church of Hosios David, Thessaloniki, Greece |
| 40°38′30″N 22°58′8″E / 40.64167°N 22.96889°E | |
The Icon of Christ of Latomos (or Latomou), also known as the Miracle of Latomos,[1] is a 5th-century Byzantine mosaic of Jesus in the monastery of Latomos (now the Church of Hosios David the Dendrite)[2] in Thessaloniki, Greece, that is an acheiropoieton (a religious image that is believed to have been made miraculously).[1] The later legend of this mosaic goes back even earlier, to the late third century AD when Maximian and Diocletian reigned jointly over the Roman Empire. The Icon of Christ of Latomos is one of the lesser-known acheiropoieta (Greek: αχειροποίητα εικόνα).[3]
According to tradition, the Icon of Christ of Latomos was discovered by Princess Flavia Maximiana Theodora, the Christian daughter of Emperor Maximian. She hid it to protect it from potential damage by the pagan, Roman authorities, and it remarkably survived Byzantine iconoclasm in the eighth century[4] as well as a period of time in the fifteenth century when the church of Hosios David was converted to an Islamic mosque (during the Ottoman occupation of Thessaloniki).[5] Sometime before the Ottoman occupation and prior to the twelfth century, the mosaic icon was rediscovered by a monk from Lower Egypt. It was again rediscovered in 1921, at which time the building was reconsecrated to Saint David.[1]
Thematically and artistically, the Icon of Christ of Latomos is likely the first of its type, depicting an apocalyptic scene with imagery from the Book of Ezekiel which communicates important theological ideas about the apocalypse.[1][6]
- ^ a b c d Erdeljan, Jelena; Germ, Martin; Pavičić, Ivana Prijatelj; Matijašić, Marina Vicelja (2018). Migrations in Visual Art. Belgrade, Serbia: Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. pp. 175–186. doi:10.4312/9789610601166. ISBN 978-961-06-0116-6. S2CID 158401629.
- ^ Tourta, Anastasia; Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou, Eftychia (2005). Short Guide: Museum of Byzantine Culture (Illustrated ed.). Kapon Editions. ISBN 978-9607037725.
- ^ Archos, Irene (5 October 2015). "The Unbearded Jesus: The Story of the 5th Century Mosaic of Latomou Monastery St. David of Thessaloniki". Greek American Girl. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ James, Liz; Nicholson, Oliver; Scott, Roger, eds. (2021). "Women remembering women? The 'Miracle in Latomos' motif in medieval Macedonia". After the Text: Byzantine Enquiries in Honour of Margaret Mullett. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000468717.
- ^ Meeks, Wayne A. (2002). Hilton, Allen R.; Snyder, H. Gregory (eds.). In Search of Early Christians: Selected Essays (Illustrated ed.). Princeton, New Jersey: Yale University Press. pp. 230–253. doi:10.12987/yale/9780300091427.001.0001. ISBN 978-0300091427.
- ^ Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N. Y. ) Department of Medieval Art and the; N.Y.), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York (2004). Byzantium: Faith and Power (1261–1557). Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-1-58839-113-1.
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