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02 Natalia Teteriatnikov.Vp Fig. 2. Hagia Sophia, view loolcing east (photo: Courtesy ofDumbarton 0a1cs) Fig. 1. Hagia Sophia, view looking east (photo: Courtesy ofDumbarton 0a1cs) 10 Fig. 3. Hagia Sophia. apse conch and bema vault (photo: Courtesy ofDumbarton 0a1cs) Fig. 5.Hagia Sophia, apse conch, view from aoutheast (photo, Courtuy ofDumbarUm Oaks) time,both the head ofthe Virginandof the ChristChildlook frontally at the beholder while their eyes tum north. In his homily, Patriarch Photios explains why the Virgin turns her eyes sideways: Fig. 4. Hagja Sophia, apse conch. Virgin Mary and Christ Child (photo: CourtuyofDumbarton Oaks) A virgin mother, with a virgin's and a mother's gaze, dividingin indivisibleform her temperamentbe­ homily provides a likely terminus antequemfor the creation tween both capacities, yet belittling neither by its in­ ofthepowerfulimages.s The imageoftheVirginandChildis completeness. With such exactitude has the art of accompaniedby an inscription that is partially preserved at painting, which is a reflection of inspiration from. the north and south ends ofthe triumphal arch: "The images above, set up a lifelike imitation. For, as it were, she whichthe impostorshadformerly cast down here, pious em­ fondly turns her eyes on her begotten Child in theaf­ perors have again set Up."6 Since the inscriptionwas crafted fectionofher heart,yet assumesthe expressionof a de­ at the sametime as the figureofthe Virgin in the apse, both tached and imperturbablemood at the passionless and text and imagecouldbe viewedas a political statementabout wondrous nature ofher offspring, and composes her the victory ofthe Iconodulesover the Iconoclasts. gaze accordingly." In Hagia Sophia, the challenge for the mosaicists was Whenthe vieweris standing in the nave near the south­ to create an image of the Virgin that could be observed from. as far away as the western doors but also throughout the eastexedra,he noticesthatbothfigures, theVirginand Christ, turn inhis direction. Themosaicists createdanillusion'that the broad nave. The icon was well observed from. the ambo, wherethe officiatingpriestread the Gospelduringthe liturgy corve ofthe apse transmits her figure from north to sooth. It seems that the designers ofthe image intentionally distorted andwhere the patriarchstoodduring someliturgicalceremo­ nies and for other occasions. Photios, for example, could the composition in orderto create a customized view toward have easily addressed and gestured toward the Virgin when MOIaic ofSt. Sophio, DOP 39 (1985) 111-115. V. also G. Gaiavaris, The he deliveredhis famoushomily from the church's ambo. Rep1'e8e1ltatkma ofthe V'1I'giJI amiChild 011 a '''l1wkOl'' 011 Seals ofthe That the figure of the Virgin is not aligned with the CoNltanthwpolita1l PatrltJrchs, Adodov XAE 412 (196011961) 153-181. centralaxis of the apsepresentsan unusualaspectofthis pro­ cr. idem, Obaervati01J8 011 the Date ofthe Apse Moaaic ofthe Church of Hagia Sophia irl CorJataIJtbIop1e., in: .Aetas de XIP COrlgtia mtenlatitmal gram.. Visually, the center of the apse is marked by a central d'etudea byzantines III, Belgrade 1964, 107-110. Galavaris' opinion was window. which is flanked by two other openings. It would acceptod by V. Laurent, Le Corpus des acema de l'Empire byzantiIJ VII, not have been difficultfor a mosaicistto line up the figure of Paris 1963, Ne 45. Itis difIicu1t to acceptthis hypothesis for two reasons. the Virgin on the same axis as the central window. But the First, Photios is very vague about the exact posture of the Virgin in his homily. second, 1he mosaicists would have difficulty in including a figure she Virgin's is notably off center. Moreover. is not standing imageof the Virgin in the overall designofthe apseconchbeceuee symmetricallyplaced on her throne. While the upper part of the apse conch is so small.Themosaicists cvenmadethe ED1hroncd Virgin the Virgin's body is turned to the north, the lowerpart, espe­ widerin orderto make hermore vistblein the nave. Theuseofthc standing cially her left foot placed on the comer ofthe footstool, is image of the Virgin on seals of Patriarch Photios, as above-mentioned turned to the south. This odd posture is further accentuated scholan have suggested, may imply that there was anotherimage of the Virgin, eithcl' in Hagia Sophia or in the Patriarcha1e. bythe factthat the cushionsare shiftedto thenorth sideofthe 5Mostscholarsaunbute thisprogram to the pa1ri.an::h Photioswho throne, leaving the south end somewhatempty. The unusual heldthe patriardIaloffice :from 858 to 867 and 877 to 886. V., for example, rendering ofthe throne and footstoolreinforce thesoutheast Cormack, IrlteTpreting the MOIaJcs ofSt. Sophlaatlstanbul, 135-138. orientation of the image. Even the lower part ofthe Christ 'Mango, MJJterla&, 82-83, 94-95. Child, especiallyhis legs, is turned to the south. At the same 1 Idem,TheHomilies ofPhotiua,29O. 11 ~ . I (.. .I L.-r-: :: 1I to II II ,I ,I :I ---'-'- --- ---- ------- ------ ........................... "'... ... -, -, " " "", ",, ~ it 2 3 4 5 o 7 & 9 I I I I I I I I Fig. 6. Hagia Sophia, apse conch, diagram showing changes ofthe original windows (after Mango, Hawkins, The Apse Mosaics ofSt. Sophia at Istanbul, Pl. B) the southeast area, the location ofthe emperor's throne and the also the area ofthe gallery where the patriarch was occasion­ place where members ofthe imperial court stood during ser­ ally located during church services.t'' Fromhis vantage point, vices.s In addition, there was an imperial metatorion in the the Virgin and Christ Child appeared to be turning in his di­ southeast bay ofthe south gallery.sThe intentionally distorted rection. Thus, the customized view ofthe image ofthe Virgin orientation and the odd composition of the Virgin in Hagia played an important role during the liturgy when the patri­ Sophia can be explained by the location of the emperor's arch and the emperor were participating and were able to throne in the southeast bay close to the southeast exedra. communicate directly with the holy images. The orientation ofthe Virgin's figure towardthe south­ east section ofthe nave also responded to the position ofthe 8 The metatorion is the place in Hagia Sophia which was reserved patriarch in the south gallery during church services. The for the emperor, used when he was present in the church. On the imperial archbishop Anthony ofNovgorod, who visited Constantino­ metatorion, v. J. B. Papadopoulos,Lemutatorium des eglises byzantines, in: ple ca. 1200, left an important account ofthe location ofthe Memorial Louis Petit: melanges d'histoire et d'archeologie byzantines, Bucharest 1948 (Archives de l'Orient chretien, 1) 366-368; T. F. Mathews, patriarch in the south gallery. 10 Because the liturgy ofHagia The Early Churches in Constantinople: Artchitecture and Liturgy, Uni­ Sophia did not change substantially between the time ofthe versityPark, Pennsylvania 1971,132-133; J. F. Baldovin, The Urban Cha­ mosaic's installation and the composition ofAnthony's ac­ racter ofChristian Worship: Origins, Development and Meaning ofStatio­ count, this source provides important information about nal Liturgy, Rome 1987 (OCA 228) 177-178; G. Majeska, The Emperor in where various constituencies were situated within the His Church: Imperial Ritual in the Church 0/ St. Sophia, in: Byzantine Court Culture from 829 to 1204, ed. H. Maguire, Washington 1997, 1-11. church. According to Anthony, the patriarch blessed the psaltai (the singers) from the gallery ofHagia Sophia at mat­ 9 Ibid. ins (the morning office that preceded the Eucharistic liturgy) 10 Anthony ofNovgorod, Kniga Palomnik. Skasania mest sviatykb vo Tsargrade, ed. Ch. M. Loparev, in: Pravoslavniipalestinskii sbomik51, and at the liturgy during weekdays and the great feasts.u He St. Petersburg 1899, 17. also blessed the congregation. According to church custom, 11 Anthony ofNovgorod, Kniga Palomnik, 17. the whole congregation ofthe church, including the psaltai, 12 N. Teteriatnikov, The Patriarchal Quarters in the South Gallery bowed down in response in the direction ofthe patriarch, i.e., 0/Hagia Sophia: Where was the Patriarch's Throne?, in: Twenty-Second toward the south. The patriarch stood behind the marble bal- Annual Byzantine Studies Coriference. Abstracts 0/ Papers, Chapel Hill 12 ustrade, probably at the center ofthe south gallery. This was 1996,26. In most Byzantinechurches, however, the image ofthe Virgin in the apse appears to be more hierarchical and is ori­ ented toward the central nave as in the case ofthe apse mo­ saic in thecathedral at PO~.13 In the case ofHagia Sophia, the distorted view ofthe Virgin can be explained bythe pri­ mary locations oftheemperor and patriarch inthe church. The Tympana Like thenew imagery in the apse,the creation ofa deco­ rative program for the north and south tympana requiredthe creation ofmore wall surface and sufficient lighting. Richard Mainstone showed thatstructural alterations were madeto the tympana mostly after the earthquake of 869 (Figs. 1-2, 8),1' The inscription, which originallyformedpart ofthe tympana decoration, alludes to structural interventions: Fossati re­ cordeda fragment ofthe original inscription that formedpart ofthe decoration ofboth tympana. It is known from S. G. Mercati: Most beautifUl epigram on the very big archesofthe Holy Great Church ofGod; fhotis St. Sophia. Fig. 7.HagiaSophia, apseconch. W'mdows afterrestoration 1. 0 eternal Son of eternal Father, unto this Thy (photo: CourtesyofDumbarton Oaks) house - the beautiful eye ofthe universe - time has brought misfortune.
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