Crete’s frescoes are a vital yet overlooked part of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art. This lecture covers three main topics: (1) presenting five churches that form part of Olympia’s recent fieldwork research in the Kandano-Selinou region, (2) their iconographic programs and stylistic trends and (3) the challenges and rewards of conducting fieldwork on the island. Despite their beauty, many of these churches remain marginalised in art history. Integrating them into the canon allows us to enjoy the richness of the Eastern Mediterranean and its visual traditions. Engaging with these sites—through fieldwork, scholarship, preservation, conversation and even social media—keeps these hallowed spaces alive in historical memory. While primarily iconographic, the lecture situates these works within Olympia’s broader investigation of emotion in Byzantium.
BIO
Olympia is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Modern Greek & Byzantine Studies at the University of Sydney and the Early Career Researcher Representative for the Australasian Association for Byzantine Studies. Through visual art and literature, her research examines emotion in Eastern medieval contexts including gender, monasticism and dietary practices. By tracing these expressions, her work offers new perspectives on how Byzantines performed and regulated emotion in sacred and everyday life.
Event Details:
When: Thursday 13 March 2025, 7pm
Speaker: Olympia Nelson
Seminar: Cretan Churches and their emotional echoes: 14th century frescoes of Kantanos-Selino
Where: Greek Center (Mezzanine, 168 Lonsdale St, Melbourne)
Entry: Free
Sponsor: GAS (Greek Australian Society)
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