The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land played host to The conference "The Madonna Among the Cactuses", held at the Monastery of Saint Saviour sponsored and organized by the Yad Ben-Zvi Institute in Jerusalem.
The conference, which took place on Thursday April 15th., was dedicated to the art-history book by Nurith Kenaan-Kedar: The Madonna Among the Cactuses. Representing the Franciscan patronage of the artistic activity in franciscan churches of the 20th century in the Holy-Land. The conference began with a lecture by the custos, Father Pier Battista Pizzaballa, on "The Franciscans in the Holy Land”.
Dr. Gil Fishhof from Tel-Aviv University gave an introductory talk on the book. This was followed by the main lecture, given by Prof. Nurith Kenaan-Kedar, who presented the central issues of her book: Tradition and renewal in Christian art of the Holy Land in the 19 and 20 centuries — the Church of the Visitation at Ain Karim and the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
Professor Kenaan-Kedar noted that: "Christian art of the 19th and 20th centuries offers important chapters in the history of art in the Holy Land. These chapters, however, have not yet become integrated into western art history. The book introduces the magnificent artistic works and artistic activities in the Church of the Visitation at Ain Karim and the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, with the intention of making these a familiar part of the normative art history of the Holy Land.
The book opens up a new field of research and discussion - that of Christian painting in the Holy Land in the 20th century. It focuses on the two Franciscan churches noted above, which are considered as constituting total artworks expressing Franciscan theological perceptions. It explores their artistic sources and iconographic programs, examines the attitudes and intentions of the artists, and presents illustrations of their works. The book also introduces several highlights from the 19th- and 20th-century art of the Armenian and Greek-Orthodox churches in the Holy Land.”
The Custos pointed out that "These Israeli scholars study our works of art—of the Church and of the Franciscans—more professionally than we do ourselves. Their knowledge is most remarkable and impeccable. Each time I am really impressed by that."
Professor Kenaan-Kedar’s lecture was followed by two additional lectures given by two of her doctoral students who are working with her on the project of Christian religious art in the Holy-Land in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Dr. Talia Treister discussed "The 19th-century icon paintings in the Greek-Orthodox church of Saint George in Lydda", explaining how the painted iconostasis program also reflected the life of the small Greek-Orthodox community in Lydda.
Nirit Shalev-Khalifa spoke on "Paintings under the British Mandate: The role and meanings of the monumental painting in the Armenian chapel of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre". This chapel is the historical Sainte Helene chapel, which later became the property of the Armenian church. In the 20th century it was renovated and at the end of the Second World War the Armenian Patriarch, commissioned the Lebanese artist Altounian to paint the cycle of the life and passion of St Gregory the Illuminator, who had converted the Armenian people to Christianity and so this cycle is also serving as an expression of . the national identity,of the Armenian community in Jerusalem.
The conference, which took place on Thursday April 15th., was dedicated to the art-history book by Nurith Kenaan-Kedar: The Madonna Among the Cactuses. Representing the Franciscan patronage of the artistic activity in franciscan churches of the 20th century in the Holy-Land. The conference began with a lecture by the custos, Father Pier Battista Pizzaballa, on "The Franciscans in the Holy Land”.
Dr. Gil Fishhof from Tel-Aviv University gave an introductory talk on the book. This was followed by the main lecture, given by Prof. Nurith Kenaan-Kedar, who presented the central issues of her book: Tradition and renewal in Christian art of the Holy Land in the 19 and 20 centuries — the Church of the Visitation at Ain Karim and the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
Professor Kenaan-Kedar noted that: "Christian art of the 19th and 20th centuries offers important chapters in the history of art in the Holy Land. These chapters, however, have not yet become integrated into western art history. The book introduces the magnificent artistic works and artistic activities in the Church of the Visitation at Ain Karim and the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, with the intention of making these a familiar part of the normative art history of the Holy Land.
The book opens up a new field of research and discussion - that of Christian painting in the Holy Land in the 20th century. It focuses on the two Franciscan churches noted above, which are considered as constituting total artworks expressing Franciscan theological perceptions. It explores their artistic sources and iconographic programs, examines the attitudes and intentions of the artists, and presents illustrations of their works. The book also introduces several highlights from the 19th- and 20th-century art of the Armenian and Greek-Orthodox churches in the Holy Land.”
The Custos pointed out that "These Israeli scholars study our works of art—of the Church and of the Franciscans—more professionally than we do ourselves. Their knowledge is most remarkable and impeccable. Each time I am really impressed by that."
Professor Kenaan-Kedar’s lecture was followed by two additional lectures given by two of her doctoral students who are working with her on the project of Christian religious art in the Holy-Land in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Dr. Talia Treister discussed "The 19th-century icon paintings in the Greek-Orthodox church of Saint George in Lydda", explaining how the painted iconostasis program also reflected the life of the small Greek-Orthodox community in Lydda.
Nirit Shalev-Khalifa spoke on "Paintings under the British Mandate: The role and meanings of the monumental painting in the Armenian chapel of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre". This chapel is the historical Sainte Helene chapel, which later became the property of the Armenian church. In the 20th century it was renovated and at the end of the Second World War the Armenian Patriarch, commissioned the Lebanese artist Altounian to paint the cycle of the life and passion of St Gregory the Illuminator, who had converted the Armenian people to Christianity and so this cycle is also serving as an expression of . the national identity,of the Armenian community in Jerusalem.