“King’s Painter” Tevdore and his inscriptions Nina Chichinadze* Ilia State University, Tbilisi UDC 003.623(=353.1):75.071.1Tevdore 75.052(479.22)”10/11” DOI https://doi.org/10.2298/ZOG1842025C Оригиналан научни рад The paper deals with “King’s Painter” Tevdore and his inscrip- painting the identities of artists/masters are displayed tions preserved in three churches of Upper Svaneti (northwest- not only in the verbal form – in texts inscribed on the ern highland region of Georgia) dated back to the eleventh works of art – but also by applying multiple tools involv- and twelfth centuries. The textual and visual data allow us to reconstruct the status of the painter and his impact on the em- ing a sophisticated interplay of inscriptions and imagery, bellishment of these churches. The inscriptions are considered spatial constructs, light and color. Painters’ inscriptions from various perspectives, with a special emphasis on their preserved in medieval Georgian churches vary in their political and social context. Tevdore’s title stressing his ties character – some of them are brief modest invocations with monarchic power aimed to extend the “royal presence” in hardly visible to the beholders,2 while others are exten- Svaneti. The spatial constructs, creating semantic focuses for sive, well discernable texts.3 Their layout, scale, content, the display of authors’ inscriptions, permit an evaluation of his literary style and “visibility” are directly connected to status and place in the given social system. the painters’ status and their role in the embellishment Keywords: painters’ inscriptions, medieval Georgian art, Da- of churches. vid IV, Georgia, Svaneti, wall painting, King’s painter Tevdore Medieval Georgian monumental painting has pre- scriptions and their display, 265–285 and G. Pallis, Messages from a sacred space. The function of the Byzantine sanctuary barrier in- served various types of artists’ inscriptions revealing scriptions, 145–158); idem, Speaking decoration inscriptions on ar- a complex “communication system” developed within chitectural sculpture of the Middle Byzantine church, in: Inscriptions Orthodox Christian culture. Textual and visual mate- in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine history and history of art, ed. Ch. Stavrakos, Wiesbaden 2016, 389–403. rials demonstrate diverse forms and strategies applied 2 by artists for their self-representation.1 In monumental In rock-cut churches (Nos. 7, 8) of Sabereebi, Davit Garedji desert, tenth century, there are surviving painters’ laconic inscriptions. One of them is located on the eastern wall of the north arm, another in * [email protected] the apse – between the feet of Christ. In Vardzia, a late twelfth-century 1 Inscriptions of medieval artists are the subject of numer- painter’s inscription is inserted in the ornamental strip in the conch. Z. ous publications. Notable studies include: S. Kalopissi-Verti, Paint- Sxirtlaże, Sabereebis p‘reskuli carcerebi, Tbilisi 1985, 67–68, 114–116; E. ers in Late Byzantine society. The evidence of church inscriptions, Privalova, Rospis’ Timotesubani, Tbilisi 1980, 129 (with earlier bibliog- CA 42 (1994) 139–157 (with earlier bibliography); eadem, Paint- raphy). Although inscriptions in Betania (late twelfth century) – one ers’ portraits in Byzantine art, ΔXAE 17 (1993/94) 129–143; v. also is inscribed in the floral ornament in the apse, above the altar, and an- eadem, Dedicatory inscriptions and donor portraits in thirteenth other in the eastern jamb on the window in the south arm, hidden in century churches of Greece, Vienna 1992, 26, 82, 87, 90, Inscr. ns. the vegetation at the feet of Aaron – do not indicate directly that they A29, A35, A39a, b, A43; eadem, Painters’ information on themselves belong to painters, their location has led scholars to hypothesize that in Late Byzantine church inscriptions, in: L’ artista a Bisanzio e nel they are masters’ “autographs”. Eadem, Novye dannye o Betanii, in: Pro- mondo cristiano-orientale, ed. M. Bacci, Pisa 2007, 55–70; I. Drpić, ceedings of the 4th international symposium of Georgian art, Tbilisi 1983, Painter as scribe. Artistic identity and the arts of graphê in late Byz- 16–17. The inscription inserted in the ornament of the apse of Ozaani antium, WI 29/3 (2013) 334–353; E. Qavelašvili, Mxeris eklesiis mx- church has also been attributed to its painter (N. Ch.?). Eadem, Ros- atvari, Sak‘art‘velos xelovnebis saxelmcip‘o muzeumis narkvvebi 5 pis’ tࢎserkvi “Vozneseniiࢎa” – “Amagleba” v Ozaani, Ars Georgica 9 (1987) (Tbilisi 1999) 96–100; N. Chichinadze, Self-representations of artists 123–124 (with earlier bibliographic references). in medieval Georgia, in: Thematic sessions of free communications. 3 Inscription of Michael Maglakeli in Matskhvarishi church, Proceedings of the 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Stud- 1140 AD, is located in the spandrels of the east blind arch of the north ies, Belgrade 2016, 586 (Abstract); eadem, Representing identities. wall; in the Archangels Church of Zemo Krikhi, the late thirteenth- The icon of Ioane Tokhabi from Sinai, Le Museon 130/3–4 (2017) century renovator of the eleventh-century murals is mentioned in the 401–420; V. also my on-going project “Masters of Medieval Geor- inscription on the lower part of the north wall, in the composition gia”: medart.iliauni.edu.ge. About inscriptions in Medieval material with the ktetors; in the church of Sori, from the fourteenth century, culture v. A. Papalexandrou, Text in context. Eloquent monuments an inscription belonging to two painters is written on the north wall. and the Byzantine beholders, WI 17/3 (2001) 259–283; Art and text In Tsalenjikha church bilingual Greek and Georgian inscriptions in Byzantine culture, ed. L. James, Cambridge 2007 (henceforth are displayed on the western sides of the west piers. T. Virsaladze, Art and text); Viewing inscriptions in the Late Antique and Medi- Freskovaiࢎa rospis’ khudozhnika Mikaela Maglakeli v Matࢎskhvarishi, in: eval world, ed. A. Eastmond, New York 2015 (henceforth Viewing idem, Gruzinskaiࢎa srednevekovaiࢎa monumental’naiࢎa zhivopis’, Tbilisi inscriptions); Writing matters. Presenting and perceiving monumen- 2007, 146; eadem, Freskovaiࢎa rospis’ v tࢎserkvi Arkhangelov sela Zemo tal inscriptions in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, ed. I. Berti et al., Krikhi, 35; I. Čičinaże, Soris moxatuloba, Tbilisi 1985, 8; Kalopissi- Berlin–Boston 2017 (v. esp. A. Rhoby, Text as art? Byzantine in- Verti, Painters in Late Byzantine society, 146–147, fig. 11. 25 ЗОГРАФ 42 (2018) [25–36] Fig. 1. Sts. Archangels Church, Iprari, chancel barrier with an inscription 26 Chichinadze N.: “King’s Painter” Tevdore and his inscriptions Fig. 2. Sts. Archangels Church, Iprari, inscription, fragment The earliest painters’ inscriptions preserved in corded in the painted inscriptions are both laymen and Georgia date back to the tenth century.4 From the elev- clergymen.8 enth-twelfth century onward painters’ “signatures” appear Striking examples of an artist’s inscriptions are more frequently.5 During the fourteenth century and in shown in the murals of painter Tevdore, who held the subsequent periods, especially in the sixteenth and sev- prestigious title of “King’s Painter”. His inscriptions clearly enteenth centuries, artists’ inscriptions significantly in- indicate, that between 1096–1130 AD he decorated three creased in number.6 The “autographs” of artists occur churches in Upper Svaneti, the northwestern highland re- elsewhere in the church interiors including apses, above gion of Georgia.9 This paper will analyze the preserved entrance doors, or north and/or south and west walls, and textual and visual data and will attempt to reconstruct the on the piers of domed churches.7 Among the artists re- status of the painter and his impact on the embellishment of these churches. It will also consider the functioning of 4 Sabereebi churches Nos 7, 8. For bibliographic references v. these inscriptions from various perspectives, with a spe- footnote no 2. V. also inscription with the painter’s name in the church cial emphasis on their political and social context. of Nasguni: N. Aladashvili, G. Alibegashvili, A. Vol’skaiࢎa, Zhivopisnaiࢎa shkola Svaneti, Tbilisi 1983, 13–14. The earliest painting of Tevdore decorates the in- 5 Inscriptions of Matskhvarishi, Vardzia, Betania, Ozaani (for terior of the Archangels’ Church in Iprari. (fig. 1, 2) The bibliography v. footnote no. 2 and 3); v. also the painted inscription in two-line inscription (240×10 cm; letters 3–3.5 cm) was ex- the church of St. George in Tsvirmi, Upper Svaneti, twelfth century. Ek. ecuted in the ancient Georgian uncial script “asomtavruli” T‘aqaišvili, Ark‘eologiuri ek‘spedicia leč‘xumsa da svanetši, Tbilisi 19912, in white paint against a dark green background. It runs 256. across the top of the chancel barrier (entablature).10 The 6 E. g. churches of Ubisi, Chule, Sori, Calenjikha, Mkher; v. also artists’ inscriptions in the sixteenth-century murals of masonry structure with a central Royal Door and two Tsitelkhevi, St. Elijah Church near Gelati, Ilemi, Obcha, etc. The artists’ lateral openings is a typical form of chancel barriers in inscriptions are presented in epigraphic material of the seventeenth- Svaneti. The inscription reads: century churches of Samtavisi, Ertatsminda, Svetitskhoveli, etc.; Sh. Amiranashvili, Georgian painter Damiane, Tbilisi 1974, 13; V. Beriże, “Christ, this holy church was painted and Żveli k‘art‘veli ostatebi, Tbilisi 1967, 24, (with earlier bibliography) (in adorned