Pictured below: Two biblical artistic
representations drawn from the Ethiopian illuminated texts. Painted by
unknown artists
Based in part upon the Dead
Sea Scrolls, the Ethiopian illuminated texts contain stories and characters
not present in many other popular translations of the bible. These paintings,
created by unknown artists, both involve St. Takla Haymanot, an Ethiopian
saint not present outside of the illuminated texts. In the first of these
works, St. Takla is prostrating himself before the Trinity. In the second,
he is leading a brigade of archangels. The human characteristics that are
given to these divine beings is not uncommon of early African religious
works.
These particular paintings
were chosen from the illuminated Ethiopian Texts because they are an excellent
example of early African and Ethiopian Christian paining. The artists of
these works, though unknown, are dated to a certain extent because of the
simple styling. Though the detail and bright colors are pale in comparison
to Tekle's neo-classical masterpiece, the paintings are similar all the
same to his work because they remind us again of Byzantine works because
of their lack of perspective. The choice of the artists to give the archangels
and the trinity such human characteristics alludes to the deeply personal
connection early Ethiopian people felt with their religion.
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