ABSTRACT
Tsar Ivan Alexander (r. 1331–71) constitutes an interesting case study when reassessing the nature of decline and its relation to art in the context of the Late Byzantine world. Praised as the Second Bulgarian Tsardom’s most important patron of the arts, he is also considered as the figure responsible for the Ottoman conquest of the state in 1396. This chapter offers a fresh look at the alleged discrepancy between the tsar’s image and actions by examining his most lavish commissions - the illustrated Manasses’ Chronicle and the London Tetraevangelion. The analysis of the manuscripts’ visual and written narrative, with respect to the historic context in which they were created, shows that Ivan Alexander acknowledged the complexity of his reign. However, he did not perceive it as decay, nor did posterity. Furthermore, this chapter demonstrates that the tsar used art as an effective means to counterbalance political, military and family struggles
