The Marian Icons of the Painter Fré Seyon

This study of the œuvre of the monk Fre Seyon, one of the greatest painters in the history of Ethiopian art, is supported by the author’s in-depth research into the history, art, and theological literature of Ethiopia. Analysis of symbolic motifs reveals that popular Marian hymns and the theological writings of the scholar-emperor Zar’a Ya’eqob (r. 1434-1468) provided the inspiration for Fre Seyon’s extraordinary paintings. His work, which reflects fifteenth-century exchanges between the Ethiopian and European courts, should now assume its rightful place in our collective understanding of the history of world art. A generous selection of illustrations includes Ethiopian works that have never before been published.