Conversation with Dr. Jehona Spahiu Jancevska: The impressive painting in the church of St. Nikola Toplicki as a research challenge

Dr. Jehona Spahiu Jancevska is an art historian, employed at the NI National Conservation Center - Skopje as a conservation consultant - expert on artistic heritage from the Byzantine and post-Byzantine period (IX-XVIII century) in the Department of Artistic Heritage, Department of Research and design of real cultural heritage.

Last year for Dr. Jehona Spahiu Jancevska was extremely fruitful, active and filled with many projects and engagements, especially in the field of cultural heritage protection, then participation in conferences, published scientific papers, and organized the exhibition "St. Mercury the Warrior and his triumph through the centuries ", held at the NI Museum of RS Macedonia, October - November 2021. The reason for our conversation is the publication of her book" The Church of St. Nicholas in the Toplica Monastery ".

The first days of the year are in the sign of the book "The Church of St. Nicholas in the Toplica Monastery". It is an extensive work. How long did it take you to reach the final product?

- The book "The Church of St. Nicholas in the Toplica Monastery", which has 463 pages, with a hardcover and is published by the Center for Cultural and Spiritual Heritage, was published at the end of last 2021. However, given the preparations and the printing process, the holidays and especially the situation with the pandemic, it really marked the beginning of this year for when the promotion is planned.

The monograph is the result of my many years of research dedicated to the entire work of the top and talented painter from the XNUMXth century, John of Gramosta, and especially to one of his most significant signed works, the painting in the thermal church of St. Nicholas. In addition to the analyzes, studies and published papers so far, the book is largely derived from my doctoral dissertation, defended at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. The preparations for the final product took place during the past year, especially with several months of intensive work on art-graphic and computer processing by the editor Darko Nikolovski, MA, who with great skill, creativity and professionalism managed to translate my ideas and ideas. and shapes in such a representative edition. The publication of the book is financially supported by the Ministry of Culture, for which I express my deep gratitude.

The monograph is the result of my many years of research dedicated to the entire work of the top and talented painter from the XVI century, Jovan from Gramosta / Photo: Vladimir Jancevski

Why did you decide to explore the church of St. Nicholas in the Toplica Monastery?

- My interest in Byzantine and post-Byzantine art started in the school of applied art "Lazar Lichenoski", where I graduated in painting, and after a miraculous game of fate, part of my diploma work was related to icon painting. The interest continued and deepened during the studies at the Institute for History of Art and Archeology at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, where I received my master's and doctorate, and I was also a long-term collaborator. During my studies I "met" the church of St. Nikola Toplicki, whose impressive painting is one of the best preserved decorative ensembles from the first half of the XVI century on Macedonian soil. The fact that the influential prince Dimitar Pepic from Kratovo is connected with the reconstruction of the temple and the frescoes, then the patronage of the Ohrid archbishop Prohor, and the painting by the painter Jovan from Gramosta who signed the narthex, but also the dilemmas about the authorship of the wall. the church, were the main research motive and challenge.

What does the book contain?

- The book is a comprehensive scientific study of one of the most representative monuments of the post-Byzantine era on Macedonian territory. The work is structured in several separate chapters that refer to the church-historical and cultural-artistic circumstances in the XV and XVI century, the historiographical corpus of the temple, the history of the monastery, which was reconstructed thanks to the preserved written documents, but also the numerous cuneiform inscriptions. of the painter in the church itself. Special chapters deal with the architectural features of the temple, then the painting program and iconographic specifics in all compartments, namely the nave and the altar, the porch and the north chapel, further the icons and carvings, as well as the stylistic features of the murals and paintings. Special attention is paid to the work of the painter Jovan from Gramosta, which includes a tabular chronological presentation of his dated, signed and attributed works. All aspects of the research are summarized in the concluding remarks followed by the English summary.

The book is accompanied by rich illustrative material, ie detailed and concise architectural plans and drawings made by the architect Kire Stavrov and especially with numerous photographs, masterfully performed by Vlado Kiprijanovski, professional photographer, and art historians Misko Tutkovski, MA , Olivera Makrievska, MA and Darko Nikolovski, MA. It also contains a long list of used bibliographic items, as well as a general and iconographic index that facilitates the search for certain terms and terms. The book is crowned with excerpts from the reviews of the two eminent professors, prof. Dr. Miodrag Markovic from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade and a full member of SANU and prof. Dr. Elizabeta Dimitrova from the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje.

The book is a comprehensive scientific study of one of the most representative monuments of the post-Byzantine era on Macedonian soil

Apart from the monographic character, what is the significance of books of this kind for the Macedonian cultural heritage?

- With the books of this kind of the scientific field, the lovers of the cultural heritage, but also to the wider audience are presented the historical dimensions and data, the architectural features, the program, iconographic and stylistic specifics of a certain temple. As a lasting testimony to our rich cultural and historical past, they contribute to increasing interest and raising awareness of the importance of cultural heritage, especially in terms of its care, protection and affirmation and in a wider geographical area.

Are there other objects that I would explore in the same way?

- Simultaneously with the Toplica Monastery and especially with the work of the painter Jovan from Gramosta, my scientific research and projects have been and are focused on many other topics of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art, but also in the field of protection of cultural heritage. Such are the topics related to the Gjurce Monastery, the "Terrible Court" in the church of St. George in Banjani, the hagiographic cycles and individual representations of certain saints, the murals and the icon painting in several churches, etc.

(The conversation was published in "Cultural Press" No. 113, in the print edition of the newspaper "Free Press" on January 22-23, 2022)

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