Experts believe study of 700-year-old handwriting unveils leading Byzantine painter's true identity

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Experts believe study of 700-year-old handwriting unveils leading Byzantine painter's true identity

2024-12-05 19:09 Last Updated At：19:20

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Crime-solving techniques applied to a medieval illuminated manuscript in Paris may have solved a centuries-old puzzle — the true identity of a leading Byzantine painter who injected humanity into the rigid sanctity of Orthodox religious art.

A contemporary of Giotto, considered the father of Western painting, the artist conventionally known as Manuel Panselinos was equally influential in a totally different tradition that's largely overlooked in the West.

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Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, prints Byzantine paintings based on photographs, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

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Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, prints Byzantine paintings based on photographs, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

But nothing is known of his life, and scholars now believe Panselinos was just a nickname that eventually supplanted the real name of the man for whom it was coined — likely Ioannis Astrapas, from the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki.

The art of Byzantium, that decorates churches across Greece, Serbia and other Orthodox countries, stands out for the stark formalism of its elongated, glowering saints, quasi-cubist mountains and doe-eyed Madonnas.

Work attributed to Panselinos, from the late 13th and early 14th centuries, is considered the finest produced in an empire that straddled Europe and Asia and endured from the fall of Rome until the capture of the imperial capital Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

Art historians had long suspected that the name — Greek for "full moon" — could have originated as a nickname for some member of the so-called Macedonian School of painting, based in Thessaloniki.

Recent research by a Greek monk and linguistics scholar linked “Panselinos” with Macedonian School painter Astrapas. Now court handwriting expert Christina Sotirakoglou has matched lettering on a manuscript tentatively attributed to Astrapas with characters on a church painting in northern Greece, long seen as Panselinos' best work.

Father Cosmas Simonopetritis, a former senior administrator in Mount Athos, the semiautonomous monastic community where the Protato church stands, says Sotirakoglou's and his own research "clearly prove" Panselinos' real identity.

“Panselinos was a real person, and (the name) was just the nickname by which Ioannis Astrapas became known,” he told The Associated Press.

Constantinos Vafiadis, a professor of Byzantine art in Athens who was not involved in the studies, said he found merit in the nickname theory and Astrapas link, even though it appeared more than one painter had undertaken the Protato project.

“I agree with attributing part of the paintings to Ioannis Astrapas," he said. “But again there remains much ground for future research into that person, because other Mount Athos monuments from the same period have not yet been sufficiently published.”

“Panselinos” — a role model for generations of painters — and his contemporaries are associated with a renaissance of kinds in Orthodox art that revived forms and techniques inherited from antiquity. Facial expressions acquired a deeper humanity, and greater attention was paid to proportion and depth of field in composition.

Father Cosmas said Astrapas was an “extremely gifted painter ... with vast knowledge who harmonically combined the ancient, classical world with Orthodox Byzantine spirituality."

“And that ... makes his work unique worldwide,” he added.

Artists' signatures were not common at the time, although some survive from members of the Astrapas family. There are none by "Panselinos."

The trail started with earlier research linking Astrapas with the artist and scholar who wrote and illustrated Marcian Codex GR 516, an early 14th century Greek handwritten text treating subjects from astronomy to music theory. Among the painted illustrations was a full moon.

“For me ... that was the main proof,” Father Cosmas said.

With a name found for the hand that produced the manuscript, the next step was to check its style against writing on the Protato painting, traditionally linked with “Panselinos.”

“Mrs Sotirakoglou, who is a handwriting expert, filled in that blank,” Father Cosmas said.

There was one problem: Women have for more than 1,000 years been banned from entering Mount Athos.

“I was forced to study the Protato paintings based on photographs,” Sotirakoglou, who works as a court consultant on identifying or authenticating handwriting in criminal cases, told the AP.

“(The work) was very difficult, because the writing on the wall paintings is in capital letters, and the painters subdued their personal handwriting to conform" with the traditional format, she said — rather like anonymous letter-writers' attempts to disguise their true style. “The Marcian codex is written in very small lower-case letters.”

The first clue came from the Greek letter Phi, the English F.

“It's a Phi that stands out, and is similar” in both the manuscript and the Protato painting, she said. “Matches also followed with other letters, T, with its proportions, which is bigger, covering the other letters and is topped with a curve, the proportions of the K.”

“But when the Phi was revealed, the code of the writing was broken and the job became much easier,” she added.

Father Cosmas said that during his administrative duties on Mount Athos he attended services at the Protato church on a daily basis.

“That's where my desire was born ... to explore the mystery around the name and the identity of Panselinos,” he said, adding that he thinks the artist "has now acquired his true identity.”

Paphitis reported from Athens, Greece.

Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect Sunday morning, officials say

2025-01-19 04:35 Last Updated At：04:40

CAIRO (AP) — The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT), mediator Qatar announced Saturday, as families of hostages held in Gaza braced for news of loved ones, Palestinians prepared to receive freed detainees and humanitarian groups rushed to set up a surge of aid.

But in a national address 12 hours before the ceasefire was to start, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was treating the ceasefire as temporary and retained the right to continue fighting if necessary. He claimed he had the support of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who told NBC News that he told the prime minister to “keep doing what you have to do.”

Netanyahu also asserted that he negotiated the best deal possible, even as Israel’s far-right Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he and most of his party would resign from the government in opposition to it.

The prime minister earlier warned that a ceasefire wouldn’t go forward unless Israel received the names of hostages to be released, as agreed. Israel had expected to receive the names from mediator Qatar. There was no immediate response from Qatar or Hamas.

The overnight approval of the ceasefire deal by Israel's Cabinet, in a rare meeting during the Jewish Sabbath, set off a flurry of activity and a fresh wave of emotions as relatives wondered whether hostages would be returned alive or dead. Families and thousands of others rallied once more Saturday night in Tel Aviv.

“Please keep going and saving lives,” said Anat Angrest, whose son Matan Angrest is still held in Gaza.

The pause in 15 months of war is a step toward ending the deadliest, most destructive fighting ever between Israel and the Hamas militant group. The deal was achieved under joint pressure from Trump and the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden ahead of Monday's inauguration.

The first phase of the ceasefire will last 42 days, and negotiations on the far more difficult second phase are meant to begin just over two weeks in. After those six weeks, Israel’s security Cabinet will decide how to proceed.

Israeli airstrikes continued Saturday, and Gaza's Health Ministry said 23 bodies had been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours.

“What is this truce that kills us hours before it begins?” asked Abdallah Al-Aqad, the brother of a woman killed by an airstrike in the southern city of Khan Younis.

And sirens sounded across central and southern Israel, with the military saying it intercepted projectiles launched from Yemen. Iran-backed Houthi rebels there have stepped up attacks in recent weeks, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

In the ceasefire’s first phase, Israeli troops are to pull back into a buffer zone about a kilometer (0.6 miles) wide inside Gaza along its borders with Israel. With most of Gaza’s population in massive, squalid tent camps, Palestinians are desperate to get back to their homes, even though many were destroyed or heavily damaged.

In a post on X, Qatar's foreign minister advised Palestinians and others to exercise caution when the ceasefire goes into effect and wait for directions from officials.

Israel's military later said Palestinians will not be able to cross the Netzarim corridor that runs across central Gaza for the first seven days of the ceasefire, and it warned Palestinians not to approach Israeli forces.

Still, anticipation was high.

“The first thing I will do is go and check my house,” said Mohamed Mahdi, a father of two who was displaced from Gaza City's Zaytoun neighborhood. He also looked forward to seeing family in southern Gaza, but is “still concerned that one of us could be martyred before we are able to meet.”

Majida Abu Jarad said she has moved seven times with her husband and their six daughters during the war, heeding Israeli evacuation orders and staying in tents, abandoned classrooms or on the street.

“We will remain in a tent, but the difference is that the bleeding will stop, the fear will stop, and we will sleep reassured,” she said while packing.

In the ceasefire's first phase, 33 hostages in Gaza are set to be released over six weeks in exchange for 737 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel’s justice ministry has published a list of the prisoners, all younger or female. An organization that represents victims of Palestinian attacks vowed to petition Israel’s Supreme Court to stop the release.

According to the ceasefire plan approved by Israel’s Cabinet, the exchange will begin at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) Sunday. The plan says three living female hostages will be returned on Day 1, four on Day 7 and the remaining 26 over the following five weeks.

Among those expected to be released is the youngest hostage, Kfir Bibas, whose family marked his second birthday Saturday. The child has become a symbol across Israel for the helplessness over the hostages’ plight.

During each exchange, Palestinian prisoners will be released by Israel after hostages have arrived safely.

Also to be released are 1,167 Gaza residents who were not involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that sparked the war. All women and children under 19 from Gaza held by Israel will be freed during this phase.

All Palestinian prisoners who were convicted of deadly attacks will be exiled to Gaza or abroad — some for three years and others permanently — and barred from returning to Israel or the West Bank.

The remaining hostages in Gaza, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase to be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.

Gaza should also see a surge in food, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid.

Egypt's foreign minister said the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world, will start operating soon. The crossing has been closed since Israel's military took over the area last May. The minister said 600 trucks of aid, including 50 fuel trucks, should be entering Gaza daily during the ceasefire.

The ceasefire plan approved by Israel’s Cabinet says all trucks entering Gaza will be subject to Israeli inspections.

“It is clear that the situation in Gaza is still extremely complex and a lot of difficulties still remain for an effective distribution,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Saturday.

The Hamas-led attack in 2023 killed some 1,200 people and left some 250 captive. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.

Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half the dead.

Lidman reported from Nahariya, Israel, and Mednick from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Joe Federman in Jerusalem contributed.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Experts believe study of 700-year-old handwriting unveils leading Byzantine painter's true identity

ENT

Experts believe study of 700-year-old handwriting unveils leading Byzantine painter's true identity

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, prints Byzantine paintings based on photographs, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, prints Byzantine paintings based on photographs, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, prints Byzantine paintings based on photographs, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, prints Byzantine paintings based on photographs, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, prints Byzantine paintings based on photographs, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, prints Byzantine paintings based on photographs, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Christina Sotirakoglou a handwriting expert, observes Byzantine paintings based on photographs prints, at her office, in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

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