Manual of Christian Iconography (1909) - Page 11

...four more copies were known that are located in the Athonite libraries 1.

a) Codex 685 of the Iveron Monastery, of 480 pages, from the 18th century.

...of Greece. In Athens 1892, pp. 234—235. Regarding this new codex, the respected friend Mr. Y. I. Smirnov gave me extensive written information. From these, it is observed that Mr. Smirnov compared the copy with the Simonides edition. The inscription reads as follows: "Book called Interpretation of the Painting Science, most useful and necessary for every painter who practices this sacred science, formerly composed by the celebrated most holy master Dionysios, hieromonk and excellent teacher who served on the Holy Mountain of Athos, with the greatest care. Now again added are some more necessary and practically tested matters by Gennadios, a Russian monk and painter, and now copied by the care and great labor, and by the hand of the same Gennadios, a Russian monk and iconographer, on the Holy Mountain of Athos, in the Skourtadikon cell, in the year 1843." Behind this inscription are two epigrams reading as follows:

Mother of God, Lady, save the suppliant

your Dionysios the sacrificer,

showing the sacrificer bright with the rays

of the thrice-radiant Trinity, hidden in the Word;

for Christ truly seeks this offering,

having loosed Himself for the salvation of mortals.

Thus speaks the ancestral mystical word.

And him who copied and joined in,

and again later out of desire and labor,

make worthy of the kingdom of heaven.

Animated book, Mother of God of the Word,

make this one also alive with grace

for my Jesus and His mother, the glory

given to me to complete this book.

The copying painter

Gennadios, a Russian monk.

This Gennadios, according to the observations of Mr. Y. I. Smirnov, added nine paragraphs after the first part of the "Interpretation" (f. 30), titling them generally as follows: "Beginning of the new method of the painting science in various ways and constructions, consequently also many things tested by me, the humble one in truth; which every painter and iconographer greatly benefits from. The accurate addition of Gennadios, the Russian monk and painter of the Holy Mountain, and many other more mystical things for various sciences and good ways." In folios 36-38, Gennadios added a "Summary Lexicon of the Present Book," etc.

1) S. Lambros, Catalogue of the Greek Codices in the Libraries of the Holy Mountain. Cambridge 1895-1900, vol. 2, pp. 203, 209, 342, 442. Codex no. 259 of the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon is noted by Lambros as also containing the work of Dionysios. On the contrary, it contains another older work of his titled: "Beginning with the Holy God of the Art and Interpretation of Painters, containing the saints, both male and female, of the whole year." This may also represent one of the sources of Dionysios' work, and thus it may be from the 17th century.

A small asterisk or floral ornament at the bottom center of the page.