Stratigraphy of the wall paintings in the main church of the Praskvica Monastery

Abstract

In the katholikon of the monastery of Praskvica there are remains of two layers of post-Byzantine wall-painting: the earlier, from the third quarter of the sixteenth century, and later, from the first half of the seventeenth century, which is the conclusion based on stylistic analysis and technical features. The portions of frescoes belonging to one or the other layer can be clearly distinguished from one another and the content of the surviving representations read more thoroughly than before. It seems that the remains of wall-painting on what originally was the west facade of the church also belong to the earlier layer. It is possible that the church was not frescoed in the lifetime of its ktetor, Balša III Balšić. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177036: Srpska srednjovekovna umetnost i njen evropski kontekst i br. 177032: Tradicija, inovacija i identitet u vizantijskom svetu]

Keywords

• St Nicholas’ church of the Praskvica monastery
• Paštrovići
• wall-painting
• Patriarchate of Peć
• Balša III Balšić