Hosios Lukas Saint Irenea Analysis

Irene of Athens, who reigned from 780 to 802, is one of the initial examples of imperial imagery being used to emphasize the empress’ pious nature. Irene of Athens was married to Leo IV and was the mother of Constantine VI. Her time as empress resulted in actions that were seen as less than desirable of a ruler but her commissions and images immortalized her as a pious ruler. The prime accusation concerned the deposition of her son since his own actions did not justify the empress’s actions. When Leo IV died, Irene became regent and eventually order that Constantine be blinded in order to secure her own position as empress. In this manner, Irene was perceived to be power hungry as she did not exhibit the qualities of a modest empress, but her images capture a
In the Hosios Loukas, Saint Irene (fig. 1) is shown in conjecture with other saints. The narthex at Hosios Lukas shows a collection of female saints in mosaic, who are arranged in groups of six and occupy space in the arched recess and lunette. These saints appear as both standing figures and as busts in roundels, arranged in two registers that are separated by red lines. The upper registers allow for standing figures while the lower registers show a horizontal row of medallion portraits. All saints are identified by inscriptions beside the saint’s heads or somewhere within the roundel. In the north bay in the upper register, there appears three regal standing figures: Saint Irene, Saint Catherine and Saint Barbara (fig. 1), which correspond to Helena and Constantine in the south. All three carry small white crosses. The figure of Irene is crowned, wears a purple costume, or the imperial garb, and holds an orb on which is engraved a cross on a stepped pedestal. This iconography refers to themes of the True Cross and to the foundation of Byzantine to which Irene is seen as a defender equal to