Coptic art 1

Coptic art

One of the Fayoum portraits depicting a boy, 2ndcentury, Warsaw. Encaustic on wood

Christ and Saint Menas. A 6th-century Copticicon from Egypt (Musée du Louvre)

Coptic art is a term used either for the art of Egypt produced in theearly Christian era or for the art produced by the Coptic Christiansthemselves. Coptic art is most well known for its wall-paintings,textiles, illuminated manuscripts, and metalwork, much of whichsurvives in monasteries and churches. The artwork is often functional,as little distinction was drawn between artistry and craftsmanship, andincludes tunics and tombstones as well as portraits of saints. TheCoptic Museum in Coptic Cairo[1] houses some of the world's mostimportant examples of Coptic art and iconography.[2]

Origins

Coptic art displays a mix of native Egyptian and Hellenistic influences[3] . Subjects and symbols were taken from both Greek and Egyptianmythology, sometimes altered to fit Christian beliefs. Persia and Syriaalso influenced Coptic art, though to a lesser extent, leaving imagessuch as the peacock and the griffin.

Iconography

Coptic icons have their origin in the Hellenistic art of Egyptian LateAntiquity, as exemplified by the Fayum mummy portraits [4] . Thefaces of El Fayum are examples of the Coptic art in the 2nd centuryAD showing the Greek and Roman influence on the Coptic art but withsome distinctive features related to Egyptian art

The Arabic conquest of Egypt allowed the Coptic art to influence theIslamic art and architecture with many features that are now integral inthe Islamic art.Beginning in the 4th century, churches painted their walls and madeicons to reflect an authentic expression of their faith.The figures of saints display eyes and ears larger in proportion to therest of the face and a smaller mouth, as well as enlarged heads,signifying a spiritual relationship with God and devotion to prayer. Martyrs' faces were peaceful.Many Coptic iconographers did not sign their names, but the prominent among them include St. Luke (traditionallybelieved to be the first icon painter) and two Coptic Popes, Pope Macarius I and Pope Gabriel III[5]

Coptic art 2

Rondel, wool on linen, 6th century, Syrian orEgyptian Coptic. Cooper Union museum.

Tunic ornament, wool, tapestry weave, 10thcentury. California Academy of Sciences

collections.

Influence

The influence of Coptic art and architecture on Islamic architecture andincorporation of some Coptic features in Islamic building started asearly as the 7th century AD [6]

As the Church of Alexandria was the first Church of Africa theinfluence of Coptic art spread to Sudan and Ethiopia. Some forms ofthe Coptic cross are known as the Ethiopian cross and many Churchesin Ethiopia show the influence of the Coptic art.

Menas flasks are very cheap terracotta bottles bought by pilgrims toAbu Mina, the shrine of Saint Menas, in the 4th and 5th centuries. Theclay was impressed before firing with blocks with images of the saint.They have been found nearly all over the Christian world, and manyscholars trace influence from their fairly crude images in the emergingiconography of Western medieval art, among other Coptic influences.

Coptic textiles

A remarkable number of Coptic textiles survive today, due to theCoptic custom of burying them with the dead, and to the aridity ofEgyptian graves. The textiles are commonly linen or wool and use thecolors red, blue, yellow, green, purple, black and brown. The dyeswere derived from madder, indigo, woad, saffron, the murex shell, andthe kermes insect. The first looms used were horizontal low-warp;vertical high-warp looms were introduced later. The basic garment wasthe tunic, which would become the dalmatic. Some tunics were wovenin one piece. They were decorated by clavi, a stylistic import fromRome.

Some fine examples of the Coptic textile are shown in museums all over the world and a large collection is in theCoptic Museum in Coptic Cairo [7] Tens of thousands of coloured fragments found their way into the museums ofthe world, especially after 1889 when the French archaeologist Albert Gayet published a catalogue of Coptic art and,in the Bulaq Museum, staged the first exhibition of Coptic monuments.[8] . The early Coptic textiles still producedpictures and decoration incorporating Egyptian and Greek motifs. Shrouds, for example, might incorporate classicalelements were painted in the form of an Egyptian sarcophagus and include representations of Egyptian gods toprotect the dead. Later coptic textiles showed the influence of Byzantium and later, Islamic art.

Modern Coptic ArtModern Coptic art is also known as the Neo-Coptic school. In recent centuries icons have been the main means ofexpression, keeping most traditional aspects. Coptic icons are more concerned religious truth and beauty than withrealism, the depiction of depth, or perspective. As in the Byzantine and related traditions, the figures are depictedfrontally, looking straight at the viewer. Today, Coptic icons are found not only in churches, but also in homes andpraying altars. They may also be purchased from Coptic gift shops throughout Egypt.During the papacy of Pope Cyril VI, the emergence of Coptic painters like Dr. Isaac Fanous Youssef, along with therevival of Coptic art, brought about the creation of the Contemporary or Neo-Coptic school of iconography.

Coptic art 3

Gallery of Coptic art

Part of the series onCopts

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Part of wood relief of the Annunciation, 5thcentury, Louvre

Coptic art 4

Terracotta pilgrim's Menas flask impressed with Saint Minas between two camels, Byzantine, 6th-7th century,probably made at Abu Mina, Egypt (Louvre Museum)  

St Anne, from Farras, 8th century. NationalMuseum in Warsaw

Capital from Faras, British Museum

Coptic art 5

Coptic Nativity fresco 10th or 11th century,Farras, Sudan  

17th century Coptic icon of anArchangel, Athens  

Modern Coptic icon ofJesus Christ

Modern Coptic icon of Saint Anthonythe Great

Coptic art 6

Modern Coptic icon of SaintDemiana

Coptic icon of Saint Maurice

Coptic icon of SaintMenas

Coptic art 7

Coptic icon of SaintPishoy

References[1] Coptic museum (http:/ / www. copticmuseum. gov. eg/ english/ internal/ brief_history. asp)[2] Lastminute (http:/ / www. lastminute. com/ site/ find/ World/ Middle-East/ Egypt/ Cairo/ WOW-Attraction-106088. html)[3] Eternal Egypt (http:/ / www. eternalegypt. org/ EternalEgyptWebsiteWeb/ HomeServlet?ee_website_action_key=action. display. module&

story_id=& module_id=305& language_id=1& text=text)[4] Free essay (http:/ / www. freeessays. cc/ db/ 6/ ame86. shtml)[5] Coptic.net (http:/ / www. coptic. net/ articles/ CopticIcons. txt)[6] Tiscali (http:/ / www. tiscali. co. uk/ reference/ encyclopaedia/ hutchinson/ m0018814. html)[7] New York Times (http:/ / query. nytimes. com/ gst/ fullpage. html?sec=travel& res=950DE5D61239F932A35752C0A96F948260)[8] Alahram weekley on Coptic Tapestery book (http:/ / weekly. ahram. org. eg/ 2006/ 796/ hr1. htm)

External links• Coptic Icons (http:/ / www. copticicons. com. au)• Introduction to Coptic art, from Coptic-net (http:/ / www. coptic. net/ articles/ CopticArtOfEgypt. txt)• The Coptic Art Studio (http:/ / www. copticartstudio. com)• Coptic Icons (http:/ / www. webcitation. org/ query?url=http:/ / www. geocities. com/ SoHo/ Canvas/ 9460/

coptic. html& date=2009-10-25+ 09:59:19)• Coptic net links to photos and resources (http:/ / www. coptic. net/ CopticWeb/ Links-Arts. html)• Coptic textiles from Indiana University Art Museum (http:/ / www. iub. edu/ ~iuam/ online_modules/ coptic/

cophome. html)• Coptic Textile calacademy (http:/ / www. calacademy. org/ research/ anthropology/ coptic/ index. html)• Coptic textiles - Virtual Museum of Textile Arts (http:/ / www. museocaprai. it/ en/ tecnica_Tessuti_Copti. htm)• Online gallery of rare Coptic icons (http:/ / www. romanylatif. com/ cgi-bin/ album. pl?album=coptic)

Article Sources and Contributors 8

Article Sources and ContributorsCoptic art  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=422764377  Contributors: AgentPeppermint, Auntof6, Bfigura, BishopSuriel, Bvs1925, Ch counsel, Charlesdrakew, Chrislk02,CommonsDelinker, Dr. Blofeld, ElinorD, Fadihany, Fama Clamosa, Ghaly, Ghirlandajo, Hmains, JamesBWatson, Johnbod, Kesh, Lanternix, Mahmudmasri, Meno25, Mild Bill Hiccup,OlEnglish, Pishogue, Screen stalker, Sdornan, Shakko, Tabletop, Taharqa, TextileArtsMuseum, Tillman, Troy 07, Udimu, Zerida, 13 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsImage:Fayum-boy-MNW.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Fayum-boy-MNW.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: BurgererSF, Ejdzej, Feuerrabe, JMCC1,Mattes, Szczebrzeszynski, ZoloImage:Menas.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Menas.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:GhirlandajoFile:Coptic rondel.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Coptic_rondel.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Coptic culture, Egypt or SyriaFile:Coptic tunic ornament.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Coptic_tunic_ornament.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Coptic culture, EgyptImage:CopticCross7Modified.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:CopticCross7Modified.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Ghaly, IngerAlHaosuluiFile:Vierge filant 01.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vierge_filant_01.JPG  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: User:Clio20File:Pilgrim flask St. Menas Louvre MN1469.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Pilgrim_flask_St._Menas_Louvre_MN1469.jpg  License: Creative CommonsAttribution 3.0  Contributors: User:JastrowFile:StAnne-Faras-MNW.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:StAnne-Faras-MNW.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: AnonMoos, BurgererSF, Ejdzej,G.dallorto, JMCC1, Shakko, Sven-steffen arndtFile:Faras capitel.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Faras_capitel.png  License: GNU General Public License  Contributors: UdimuFile:Sudan Farras fresco of cathedral 22dez2005.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Sudan_Farras_fresco_of_cathedral_22dez2005.jpg  License: Public Domain Contributors: Bestiasonica, Dustsucker, Ejdzej, G.dallorto, JMCC1, Mr. bobby, Shakko, Slomox, Sven-steffen arndt, 2 anonymous editsFile:Coptic icon with an archangel.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Coptic_icon_with_an_archangel.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:MountainFile:ChristCopticArt.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:ChristCopticArt.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: Original uploader was Afanous at en.wikipediaFile:StAnthony.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:StAnthony.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User Afanous on en.wikipediaFile:StDemiana4.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:StDemiana4.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: LanternixFile:StMaurice2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:StMaurice2.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Original uploader was Lanternix at en.wikipediaFile:StMina4.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:StMina4.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Bwpach, LanternixFile:SaintPishoy.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:SaintPishoy.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Lanternix

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