Manuel D'Iconographie Chrétienne Grecque Et Latine Avec Une Introduction Et Des Notes Par M. Didron De La Bibliothèque Royale Secrétaire Du Comité Historique Des Arts Et Monuments Traduit Du Manuscrit Byzantin, Le Guide De La Peinture Par Le Dr Paul Durand Correspondant Du Comité Historique Des Arts Et Monuments

Although written in the early eighteenth century, Dionysius's manual draws on a long-established tradition of painting, that had prevailed in Europe from the decline of classical naturalism in about the 4th century to its renaissance in the 14th. Both Didron and Durand were apologists for this tradition in nineteenth-century Europe. In some respects it is interesting to compare this handbook with Cennini's late-14th-century Libro dell'Arte.

The text is presented in three parts, with an appendix: 1. Technical aspects of preparing grounds and colors and methods of painting; 2. Iconography of the Old Testament; iconography of the New Testament, of Christ, the Mother of God and Christian saints; 3. The arranging of images in churches; Appendix, chiefly on inscriptions for Christian images. The work does not expound the theology of the acceptance of images in the Christian religion - which has been of such significance in the history of art in Europe.

Unfortunately the hand-book is not illustrated. It has traditionally been used in contexts where the painter is surrounded by examples of the methods described in the text.

Translations of the original have been published in German and English. The Greek text was published at St. Petersburg in 1909, and reprinted at Athens in 1975.