ABSTRACT
Of all Late Byzantine painters, Manuel Panselinos is both one of the most celebrated and one of the most elusive. His reputation has grown thanks to the continuing oral tradition of Mount Athos, where he is credited with painting the impressive frescoes that decorate the Protaton church in Karyes. In the absence of texts, however, modern-day art historians are divided on how to address this vibrant oral tradition.1 In this chapter I shall attempt to forge a middle ground between outright acceptance and outright rejection of the oral tradition. To do so, I shall explore the historical and art historical context of Panselinos’s supposed masterwork at the Protaton, investigate the documents that attest to the painter’s name, and conclude by offering a metaphorical interpretation of the name Manuel Panselinos. My aim is to argue that the oral tradition of this legendary artist, properly understood, is indeed worthwhile for both monks and scholars alike.
