Iconic Influences: Ethiopian Christian Art's Adaptation of Venetian Style in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries

An analysis of Ethiopian Christian art in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries cannot exist without viewing the artwork from a Eurocentric point of view. Researchers and scholars explore the extent that Ethiopian Christian... [ view full abstract ]

An analysis of Ethiopian Christian art in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries cannot exist without viewing the artwork from a Eurocentric point of view. Researchers and scholars explore the extent that Ethiopian Christian artists during this time period built upon influences carried from Venice through trade networks.  Both Ethiopian born artist Fre Seyon, active in Ethiopia in the fifteenth century, and Venetian born painter Nicolo Brancaleon, active in Ethiopia in the sixteenth century, utilized Venetian forms and traditional Ethiopian styles in their art. By looking at their works during this era, it is evident that there are stylistic and iconographic factors that support the argument that Ethiopian art was influenced by that of Venice. Although the evidence of Venetian impact on Ethiopian art is noted, though sparse, the existence of Ethiopian impact on Venetian art is nonexistent in scholarly research. As the artworks in Ethiopia are primarily in situ, a trip to the Lake Tana region would be necessary to further any studies, as well as research into Ethiopian expatriate communities in Europe. Therefore, along with a summary of the Venetian impact, this project will lay out what must further be researched in this field.