PART TWO: THE LEGEND OF SAINT GEORGE IN THE NARTHEX OF LOVNICA MONASTERY

Much is already known about Lovnica and its significance for Orthodox believers. In a series of articles on the legend of Saint George in the narthex of Lovnica Monastery church, we discuss the frescoes of Lovnica that feature Saint George, to whom the Lovnica church is dedicated.

In the second part of our story about the frescoes of Saint George in the narthex of Lovnica Monastery in Šekovići, we will discuss the frescoes on the southern side of the narthex. The events continue from the eastern side to the southern side, depicting various tortures.

In the first scene on the southern side, the artist depicted the torture of Saint George on a wheel.

In the center of this composition, in the foreground, there is a large wheel on a pedestal with twelve attached spear-like spikes. The tips of these spikes touch the edges of the wheel. George is bound to the wheel, without clothes, only with a perizoma around his loins. On each side of the wheel stands a soldier with a sword strapped to his belt. The right soldier is dressed in a blue knee-length tunic, red-brown tight pants, and black high boots. The left soldier wears a red-brown tunic, white tight pants, and black high boots. This scene is framed by a stretched wall canvas. On the battlements stand two figures with long clubs in their hands, striking the martyr with each turn of the wheel. The background of this scene is painted, with green in the foreground and blue in the background.

The second scene on the southern wall is called "The Flogging of Saint George."

It takes place outside the city walls in a rocky landscape. In the center of the composition stands the martyr George, trapped knee-deep in a torture device. He is dressed in a brown sticharion with a gold border around the neck. He is slightly bent at the waist, with his arms bent and stretched forward. On each side stands a torturer with a club in hand, striking the saint forcefully. The scene is closed by modest city wall architecture, behind which stands another figure with a club in the left hand, holding onto something with the right to avoid falling. This figure does not participate in the flogging but closely watches the strikes, serving as a reserve in case one of the executioners tires. The background of this scene is painted blue.

We did not photograph the interior out of respect for the monastery complex's rules, which prohibit the use of cameras inside.