Christ the Pantokrator
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Christ The Pantokrator
Upon walking to the contemporary building, one is awestruck from viewing the drastic change from the antique-like Montrose area houses to a modern museum.
This building was an architectural feat intended to imitate an early Byzantine reliquary box. These boxes were containers of sacred objects with a much more deeper meaning than just to be aesthetically pleasing. The tradition of the reliquary box was incorporated into the design of the museum, which was to contain something which had a more profound meaning than to just be admired. The museum contains a model of a Middle-Byzantine chapel housing two restored frescoes from the original Greek Orthodox Church from Lysi, Cyprus.
This museum is unique when compared to the other museums on the De Mil campus. The two frescoes are housed in a manner that reproduces the original church of Saint Themonianos. A specific purpose was envisioned for the housing of the two relics. The purpose has much to do with their function and meaning of the original context. This vision reached a level that overcame the idea of artifacts with a certain style. The idea was so important because of the relationship with the architectural space and the images of the artifacts. After spending more than $900,000 to ransom the artifacts, Mrs. De Menil, one of the founders of the foundation was quoted by The New York times, 1974. “She( Mrs. De Menil) was equally determined that the frescoes not be presented as pure art, but be given a religious setting similar to the one for which they had been created, a sacred object is deprived of its function if it is seen as lines and color.” She said ” You amputate something important if you do that.” Why is this vision for the model of the chapel such a necessity? Or why, “if Byzantine monumental paintings are considered as isolated works, lose something of their essential value”(Demus)?
The answer lies in part of the style and meaning of the icons in the chapel. The actual chapel inside designed by Francois De Menil with two functions. To return the spiritual relationship that was present in the icons in their previous religious context. Also incorporated was the basic element that is present in almost every museum, to explain a bit of history. Floating glass panels make the walls of the church and help make up the actual sanctuary. The translucent glass partitions are held floating by black steel rod structure. The glass walls create the nave and an apse covered altar divided by the templon. The twenty four foot rise dome is being sustained by invisible pendentives and round arches. A normal characteristic of Byzantine features is how the churchs dome is settled atop its basilica. A dome would not have its weight transferred evenly without the two types of structural devices created for this purpose only. Penditives and squinches are answer to joining the conch and the rectangular basilica. The Menil Chapel is somewhat a play light. “The mysticism of light” was an element used in churches to help create a spiritual mood and awe for God(Gardner).The great Hagia Sophia in Constantinople used this effect and this illusion makes the conch appears to hover on air above the basilica. In the Menil Chapel manipulates the absence of light in the walls of the museum room with the exception of the focused frescoes. From within, a sense of infinite is provoked if concentration is focused somewhere other than the two and in this environment of stillness, focus is all; nothing should allow one to be distract ed from the frescoes, and nothing from the ephemeral evocation of the original chapel. The original purpose of worship is invoked through the museum.
One is forced to look up once inside. The conch is 109 inches in diameter and is organized in a manner that represents Christ as the Pantokrator surrounded by fourteen figures. Christ dominates the scene. The virgin Mary, John the baptist, and two files of angels converge to the prepared throne directly under Christ. One is led to believe that there is symmetry in the organization, but closer inspection is revealed. More important than the relation of the touching angels in the progression is the progression itself leading to Christ. Christs halo contains a cross that is crooked and forces a viewers sight to move clockwise. Also His risen eyebrow helps this progression of the viewers sight move along also. Ones sight races through the lines of angels, caused by their joined wings. A pause is made at a lavishly robed angel. His jeweled garment and the inscription above him signifies that he is Gabriel, one of Gods archangel. Christs Robe pushes the viewer above the throne starting the track of angels.
Christs face has a peculiar look that gazes onward. A Byzantine canon was represented for the all Sovereign. The Pantokrator in the dome represents Him in the heavens, gazing not at the believer or engaging with the viewer or does not do anything; He just is. This canon was most likely scriptural based in His title “I Am”. His hair is portrayed flowing to one side. His hands and His robes lifts a viewers eye to Christs face. The left eye is bigger with the brow thicker. His beard becomes more finer on the right. His right cheekbone is painted more humanly. The contours of the neck muscles are unequal, leaning to the left. These imperfections are not lack of skill from the artists mistakes but, part of the canon. Manolis Chatzdakis cited a Byzantine tradition about his “dual”nature: mild and pleasing on the right while being strong and fierce on His left.
Christs empty throne bears a cross, a book that could be the book of life or His gospel book, and dove representing the Holy spirit. The empty throne is directly related to Christs title as Pantokrator. In Greek the term means Christ “Ruler of All” and refers to His second coming; the Parousia. Just as the highest central dome in the church of the Dormition in Daphni, Greece, Christ the the Pantokrator is a common theme used for a much needed meaning. The function of these dome were to connect a worshiper or a new soul to Christ. This was the delicate task in creating a new architectural context that would restore the frescoes spiritual meaning without secularizing the religious artifacts in a dry museum context. A liturgical prayer of commemoration in which the mercies of God are inventoried can help explain the function:
“Remembering, therefore, this command of the Savior and all that came to pass
for our sake, the cross, the tomb. The resurrection on the 3rd day, the ascension to
heaven, the enthronement at the right hand of the Father, and the second , glorious
coming.”