Abstract: New evidence from recent cleaning sheds light on the painted program of the katholikon of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos. These interventions have not only clarified the structure and iconography of the Palaiologan decoration of the early fourteenth century but have also brought to light an extensive and previously underestimated twelfth-century layer. The newly revealed material significantly expands our understanding of the Middle Byzantine phase of the monument, demonstrating that it was neither fragmentary nor confined to the sanctuary, as previously assumed, but formed a coherent and widespread decorative program. At the same time, the study of the Palaiologan paintings shows that their organization was not conceived independently, but in close dialogue with the earlier layer, which was selectively preserved, reworked, and integrated into the later scheme. Particular attention is given to the structure of the Christological cycle and to the prominent role of Marian imagery, as well as to the interpretative relationships established between key scenes, such as the Baptism and the Lamentation, which articulate a soteriological reading of the program. The analysis further highlights significant iconographic choices, narrative strategies, and stylistic features that distinguish the Vatopedi ensemble from other Athonite monuments, including the Protaton. By reassessing the evidence in light of the recent cleaning, the paper argues for a more complex understanding of the monument’s painted decoration, in which continuity, reinterpretation, and innovation coexist. The case of Vatopedi thus invites a reconsideration of the relationship between Middle Byzantine and Palaiologan painting on Mount Athos.

Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Studies Lecture, co-sponsored by the Georgetown U. Modern Greek Studies Program and DC AIA

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