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Dionysios Mourelatos- Monumental Painting 6 -12 C. 96 DIONYSIOS MOURELATOS the Formation and Evolution of Monumental Painting

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Dionysios Mourelatos- Monumental Painting 6 -12 C. 96 DIONYSIOS MOURELATOS the Formation and Evolution of Monumental Painting Dionysios Mourelatos- Monumental Painting 6th-12th c. DIONYSIOS MOURELATOS The formation and evolution of Monumental Painting in Georgia (6th-12th centuries). The role of Byzantine Art*. The role of Byzantine art in the formation and evolution of the Monumental Painting in Georgia is definitely important, since Georgian Medieval Art and Byzantine Art were developed in parallel and under the same dogma. However, the degree of this influence remains an issue for interpretation1. The lack of extended written sources allows different approaches for the nature of the evolution of local artistic production, namely its independence or not from the trends of metropolitan monumental painting. In this paper it’s attempted to explore the ways that byzantine art influenced2 the formation of Georgian monumental painting from its beginnings until the end of the 12th century, namely the period of creation and evolution of Georgian Art and before the time of Queen Thamar (the period of flourishing of Georgian art). The Christianisation of the country resulted in the creation of special ties between Georgia and the Byzantine Empire, despite the fact that Georgia remained an independent state. Since converting into Christianity Georgia eventually came under the influence of Byzantium in order to establish an official iconography, based on Church dogma3. *I am very grateful to Professors Nina Chichinadze and Zaza Skhritladze for their help in this text. 1 Even if they are referred to different historical periods, see different approaches in Z. Skhritladze, “Early Paintings in the Gareja desert”, Eastern Approaches to Byzantium (ed. A. Eastmond), Hampshire 2001, 159- 160. Idem, “Early Medieval Georgian Monumental Painting: Establishment of the System of Church Decoration”, OrChr 81 (1997), 203-206. D. Mouriki, “The formative role of Byzantine art on the artistic style of the cultural neighbors of Byzantium”, JöB 31/2 (1981), 725-728. 2 Ch. Amiranachvili, “Apparition et condition historiques du développement dans l’art géorgien de l’iconographie nationale et ses parallèles stylistiques”, BK XXVII (1970), 24-45, especially, 24 and 34. She notes that Georgian wall paintings are closely connected to the monuments of Christian East, while the influence of byzantine art wasn’t direct in 9th and 10th centuries. G. Nosadze, “Apercu sur l’ancienne peinture réligieuse géorgienne”, BK VIII-IX (1960), 65-78, especially 65 and 67. In this paper, Nosadze revised the opinions of Georgian scholars on the byzantine influence in Georgian Monumental art. 3 K. Matchabeli, “Georgia and the Byzantine World: Artistic Aspects”, Perceptions of Byzantium, op.cit., 188- 197. 96 Dionysios Mourelatos- Monumental Painting 6th-12th c. According to tradition4, Saint Nino, who was held hostage and converted King Mirian of Iberia, introduced Christianity there in the 4th century, circa 3305. Very few monuments survive in Georgia6 from the age of transition from the late antiquity to the medieval world. Among them the pavement mosaics in Bicvinta are included, while the oldest wall mosaics are dated to the 6th-7th centuries. Τraces of a mosaic found in the small church of Jvari at Mtskheta can be reconstructed as a cross, inscribed in a glory/mandorla, that was decorated the apse and possibly dated to the second half of the 6th century7. The Church of C’romi8 is dated to 626-634. The decoration of the church seems to be simultaneous with its construction. Preserved parts of the mosaics allow the theme of the depiction of Christ between two angels to be restored in the upper part of the conch of the apse. Below it, the Virgin Orans and apostles are depicted in a fresco. The combination of mosaic and frescoes indicates a quest for a cheaper solution for the decoration of the church. Its iconography conceivably betrays an oriental approach9, even maybe Georgian, developed apart from the byzantine influence10. 4 Z. Alexidze, “Four Recensions of the «Conversion of Georgia»”, The Christianization of Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, Albania) (ed. W. Seibt),Vienna 2002, 9-16. 5 N. Lomouri, “The history of Georgian-Byzantine Relations”, Perceptions of Byzantium and its Neighbors (843-1261) (ed. O. Z. Pevny), New York 2000, 182-187. For the history of the introduction of Christianity see especially p.182-183. 6 There are some fragments of pavement mosaics from the Baptistery of the Church of Bicvinta, dated to the 5th century. See more in Alpago-Novello et al., Art and Architecture, 88. M. Odisheli, Spätantike und frühchristliche Mosaiken in Georgien, Vienna 1995, 31-62. L. Khouskivadzé, “Les mosaïques antiques et médiévales de la Géorgie”, Λαμπηδών. Αφιέρωμα στη μνήμη της Ντούλας Μουρίκη (επιστ. επιμ. Μ. Ασπρά- Βαρδαβάκη), I, Αθήνα 2003, 421-425. 7 Skhirtladze, “Early Paintings in the Gareja Desert”, Eastern Approaches to Byzantium, op.cit., 149-167. Idem, “Early Medieval Georgian Monumental Painting”, op.cit., 169-206 and especially in 169-171. N. Thierry, “Iconographie sacrée et profane en Transcaucasie. Caractères ponctuels des influences”, Il Caucaso: Cerniera fra Culture dal Mediterraneo alla Persia (Secoli IV-XI), t. 2, Spoleto 1996, 974-980. Khouskivadzé, “Les mosaïques antiques”, op.cit., 425. 8 Skhirtladze, “Early Medieval Georgian Monumental Painting”, op.cit., 171-4. Alpago-Novello et al., Art and Architecture, 88. Z. Skhirtladze, “A propos du décor absidal de C’romi”, REGC 6-7 (1990-1), 163-183. Τ. Velmans, “Les mosaïques pariétales en Géorgie et les problèmes qu’elles posent”, Mosaïque. Recueil d’hommages à Henri Stern, Paris 1982, 338-342. Ν. Thierry, “La peinture médiévale géorgienne”, CorsiRav 20 (1973), 410. Khouskivadzé, “Les mosaïques antiques”, op.cit., 425-426. 9 Skhirtladze, “A propos … C’romi”, op.cit., 171-172. 10 Idem, “Early...Monumental Painting”, op.cit., 173-174. The exploration of style in this church isn’t easy, because of its bad preservation. However, Skhirtladze (in “A propos du décor absidal de C’romi”, op.cit., 170- 171) notes that the proportions of the figures and the moulding of the drapes present particularities, showing similarities with monuments in Syria and Palestine. 97 Dionysios Mourelatos- Monumental Painting 6th-12th c. Other monuments from this early period are also very fragmentarily preserved in Georgia. In the conch of the chancel of the rock-cut monastery of T’et’rti Udabno11 in the western part of Gareja desert, the existence of a large radiant cross inscribed into a mandorla was recently discovered. Below it a composition of the Presentation in the Temple was revealed, comprising of three figures. In the left part Simeon is depicted holding the Child and in the right the Virgin is standing. Although it is difficult to determine a more precise date for the painting, because of its fragmentary preservation, the most probable date is the 7th century, even if its iconography is more frequently connected with the post-Iconoclastic period12. The aniconic decoration in Ateni Sion is also most likely dated to the 7th century, after the construction of the church13. Other aniconic programs14 are located in the churches of Erc’o Sion (8th c.), Jaleti (8th-9th c.) and Benisi (9th c.). In the church of Mravalcqaro15 there are some extremely damaged wall-paintings. More precisely: Christ in Majesty, a votive image of the Virgin and Child, a stylites saint, female saints and donors, probably dated to the mid-ninth century. Because of the state of these wall paintings, it is rather difficult to draw any conclusions about the stylistic trends they follow. Approximately the same situation exists in the church of Saint Dodo16 (fig. 1-3) rock-cut monastery in Gareja. The damaged state of the paintings only allows us to understand its decorative system in general terms. In the apse of the church there was the representation of Christ enthroned in Majesty. He is surrounded by the personifications of the sun and the moon in medallions, by tetramorphs and by two archangels. In the north wall three warrior saints were depicted. These wall paintings have been dated from the 7th 11 Idem, “Early Paintings in the Gareja Desert”, op.cit., 150-155. 12 Ibid, 155. 13 Skhirtladze, “Early…Monumental Painting”, op.cit., 201. 14 Ibid, 201-202. 15 Ibid, 155-157. 16 Skhirtladze, “Early Medieval painting”, op.cit., 179, 184-186. Alpago-Novello et al., Art and architecture, 88-89. Thierry, “La peinture médiévale”, op.cit., 412. G. Nozadzé, “Aperçu sur l’ancienne peinture géorgienne”, ΒΚ VIII-IX (1960), 67. A. Volskaia, “Sur les particularités des peintures anciennes de David Garédja (Les peintures murales de l’église à coupole du monastère de Dodos-Rka) ”, Λαμπηδών, II, op.cit., 881-888. 98 Dionysios Mourelatos- Monumental Painting 6th-12th c. to the 9th century17, although a date in the late 9th century18 seems more probable. The representation of the apse was influenced by prophetic visions. This subject is also known from the Byzantine art, before 1000 but surely occurs more frequently in east Christian monuments19. Τheophanic compositions of Christ in Majesty in the apse are also found in Sabereedi monastic complex (it includes 4 churches)20 in the Gareja desert, where mural paintings of the 9th century are preserved (churches N5 and N6). The decoration of the apses in both churches is divided into two zones. The peculiarity of the division in two registers is more common in east Christian monuments21. Other quite fragmentary wall paintings are preserved in the churches in the gorge of the Ksani River: Kabeni, Armazi, Cirkoli. These belong to a highly abstract stylistic trend. At Armazi, dated to 86422, three busts of saints are depicted on the masonry chancel screen. Among the group of monuments close to the Ksani river is the church of Telovani23, which bears two layers of painting (8th and 10th centuries). The iconographical programme of 8th century can be partly reconstructed. The conch of the apse was adorned with Christ enthroned between two praying Archangels, while the Holy Mandylion above the chancel window and eight Apostles divided into two groups complete the decoration of the apse.
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