DENIS of FOURNA ~ MANUAL for PAINTERS

EXCERPTS from the HERMENEIA of DENIS of FOURNA

This famous Guide to Painting written by a Greek monk dates, it is true, only from the eighteenth century, but in it the most ancient traditions are perpetuated. Nothing changes in the unmoving east. Even to-day the painters of Mt. Athos when decorating their chapels observe the rules transmitted to them by the Monk Denis, and paint exactly as did their predecessors in the Middle Ages. -- Emile Mâle

[Excerpted from The 'Painter's Manual' of Dionysius of Fourna, translated by Paul Hetherington. Oakwood Publications. Torrance. 1996]

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To the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary:

O Mary, Mother of God, on whom the sun's rays fall and who art adorned with grace; Luke, the eloquent orator, most learned professor and teacher of every form of knowledge and science and most holy and stentorian herald and writer of the Gospel message, showed clearly to all the divine love which he bore to thy divinely adorned eminence, and did not bring, as first fruits, and of his abundant spiritual graces without first drawing and depicting on a panel in varied colours and golden mosaics with his painters' art thy wonderful and graceful face, which he had himself seen. I wished to become his unworthy imitator, and started the art of painting icons, thinking that the desire to fulfil my duty to thy most high and laudable magnificence was the same as the ability. However, in my arrogance I failed greatly, as nature did not assist me sufficiently, or accompany my intention and wishes. Therefore, so that I should not ultimately fail in that worthy aim, and lose the fruits of my laborious efforts on her behalf, I presume to offer to thee the explanation and instructions of this art which I have gathered together and composed with the greatest care and skill of which I am capable, so that it be inferior to none as far as method is concerned, for I know well that to the and to the master and maker of all one's utmost is dear and most acceptable, providing for the painters that are adorned with natural talents sources of the most beautiful art with the right order and use of colours and ways of finding subjects; how and in what parts of the sacred churched they must be painted with scenes, in order to decorate and paint with scenes properly and fittingly the imagined heaven of the church, and above all thy graceful appearance which is like unto the sun, continually transfigured in the mind's eye of the pious congregation that will continue to come until the end of time; by which means, turning away from earthly things of low estate, and reaching forward in relative measure to the prototype, they may take hope by calling to mind the pleasures of eternity, of which I also may become a spectator through thine holy intercession.

To all painters, and to others who love instruction and study this book, salutation in the name of the Lord:

Having heard, O all ye pupils of diligent painters, how Christ in his holy Gospel cursed him who had buried his talent, saying to him: Wicked and slothful servant, thou shouldst have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury, I myself was afraid of being condemned as slothful, and I urged myself to increase the slight talent that the Lord had given me, that is to say the little art that I possess, which I learnt from my youth, studying hard to copy as far as I was able, the master of Thessalonica, Manuel Panselios, who was compared with the brilliance of the moon; this painter having worked on the Holy Mountain of Athos, painting holy icons and beautiful churches, shone in his profession of painting so that his brilliance exceeded that of the moon, and he obscured with his miraculous art all painters, both ancient and modern, as is shown most clearly by the walls and panels that were painted with images by him; and anyone who participates to some extent in painting will understand this very clearly when he looks at them and examines them carefully. This art, I say therefore, which, as was mentioned, I learnt with much trouble in my youth, I wished with all my heart to propagate for the benefit of all you who are of the same profession, giving you instruction in it in this book of mine, and stressing strongly all the proportions and characters of the faces, the painting of flesh and colours with great precision, and besides this the proportions of the human figure and their application; there is also a section on the Cretan artists, on instructions for the preparation of different varnishes, on glue, gesso and gilding, and on the way to paint on walls with the utmost perfection. In it I have also included a selection of the whole of the Old and New Testaments, and the way the events and miracles in them are represented, as well as the parables of the Lord, the appropriate texts for the prophets, the names and characteristics of the evangelists and apostles, and of all the official saints, with a section on the form of their martyrdom and their miracles, for the whole year; also on the life of the true monk and on this deceitful world.

Also how different churches should be painted, and other matters useful to this profession, as is shown very clearly in the index one by one. I have collected together this material with much trouble with my worthy pupil, Master Cyril of Chios, who has corrected it all with great diligence. Will all of you therefore pray for us to the Lord, so that we may be delivered from the fearful condemnation of the slothful servant, Amen.

Denis, priest-monk of Fourna, the unworthiest of painters.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ our God, uncircumscribed in Thy divine nature, having become inexpressibly incarnate for the salvation of man from the last things by the Virgin Mother of God, Mary, hast become worthy of circumscription. Who, having imprinted the sacred character of Thine immaculate face on the holy veil, and through this healing of the illness of the governor Agbar and bringing about enlightenment of his soul into the full knowledge of our true God; and who, through Thine holy Spirit brought wisdom to the holy apostle and evangelist Luke to depict the form of Thy most innocent Mother, who carried Thee in her arms as a child and said May the grace of Him who was born of me, through me be imparted to them; the same, O God and Master of all things, enlighten and bring wisdom to the soul and heart and mind of Thy servant N____ and direct these hands for the irreproachable and excellent depiction of the form of Thy person and of Thine immaculate Mother and of all Thy saints, to Thy glory and to the splendour and beautification of Thine holy Church, and the remission of the sins of those paying homage in regard to her and devoutly kissing and so bringing honour to the prototype; redeem him from all harm inflicted by the devil, ad he diligently follows all the commands of the ministers of Thine immaculate Mother, of the holy and illustrious apostle and evangelist Luke, and of all the saints. Amen.

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