Between Alexandria and Rome: Reflection on Artistic Circulation and Cross-cultural Interaction in Ethiopian Painting during the Reign of the Solomonic Dynasty (the end of the 13th – 15th Centuries)
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| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian countries with a rich artistic tradition, and thanks to its cultural links with the Christian East and West, it is nowadays considered one of the major centers of the Mediterranean world. Therefore, in Ethiopian painting with an emphasis on tradition, some aspects of Coptic, Byzantine and European art may be observed. Specific variations of Ethiopian art requiring new interpretations and contextualization arise. This paper was focused on the period between 1270 to the end of the 15th century when Ethiopian Christian painting was going through fundamental changes. Using examples of monumental, book, and panel paintings preserved in Ethiopia, the changes and gradual adaptations of new iconographic themes and artistic media was discussed. Special attention was given to the cross-cultural contacts between Ethiopia and the Mediterranean area. These interwoven contacts enabled mutual dialogue and at the same time, could have been one of the factors shaping the unique visual culture of Ethiopia. |
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