Roman and Byzantine mosaic experience of comparative analysis. Virgin and Child

Byzantine mosaic is one of the oldest types of art that has survived to this day. It is believed that it was the Byzantines who created smalt, a material that acquires its properties when various metals are added to molten glass. It is smalt that is used when laying out Byzantine mosaics.

Impurities of gold, copper and mercury in different proportions give individual elements and mosaic blocks certain shades. With the help of these blocks, having previously given them the required geometric shapes necessary for laying, amazing man-made canvases and panels are created, which you can admire endlessly.

One of the main features of the Byzantine mosaic is the golden background, which is present in most interior panels. The second feature of the Byzantine style is the clear contours of all objects. They are obtained by laying out the mosaic cubes in a row. It is worth saying that panels made in this style are best viewed from a distance, in which case all objects become more visible against a golden background and acquire some volume. At the same time, the surface of the panel, if viewed from afar, seems slightly velvety. Another feature that can be traced in this style is the correct proportions. If we talk about the Byzantine mosaic technique, then direct set is mainly used, that is, the mosaic blocks are laid out strictly in a row, close to each other, while the contours are clearly laid out. On the one hand, this technique gives the panel some dryness, but this is only at first glance. In fact, the integrity of the picture and its liveliness are better perceived.

Modern Byzantine mosaic in the interior

Byzantine mosaics are highly valued and have not lost their popularity to this day. Charming mosaic compositions are increasingly used in interior design of modern houses and apartments. Of course, today it is difficult to find real Byzantine smalt, the mosaic has long been produced industrially, thanks to new technologies, entire mosaic compositions are produced. This made it possible to reduce the cost of the material, since today pure smalt is practically not used, glass mosaic is often used instead.

There is nothing complicated in the Byzantine mosaic technique, the main requirement is a perfectly flat surface for the future masterpiece, and there should be no cracks on it. A little patience, the presence of a certain imagination, and almost everyone is able to independently decorate their home with a magnificent work of art. It can be a picture on the wall, or a chic oriental rug on the floor. Byzantine mosaics are always fashionable, and their history of almost two millennia is a strong confirmation of this.

Byzantine mosaic can be replaced by a more modern, high-quality and, of course, more affordable material - mosaic-like ceramic tiles from the collection "Temari" by Kerama Marazzi. Wide choose colors, rich shades, perfectly combined with each other, will make it possible to realize any design idea. The Temari mosaic collection will decorate your interior, make it individual and original.

Other features of Byzantine mosaics

In later times, researchers pay attention to the fact that the cubes are stacked tightly to each other, while the clarity of the contours continues to be traced. Also among the features of later examples of Byzantine mosaics are the correct proportions of human bodies. Often they are depicted by masters in motion or in turn. Often the image is transmitted so that the volume of the image is visible. This brings the images to life to some extent, but having crisp edges still makes them look rather dry.

What is a Byzantine mosaic? This ancient art composition of small identical particles of some kind of image or picture. As a rule, large paintings are made in this way, which are intended to be looked at at a great distance. In this case, the picture will be distinguished by irregularities that seem to enliven the image, and the surface of the picture will seem velvety from afar.

Byzantine Mosaic Materials

Since ancient times in Byzantium, an excellent material was invented for making Byzantine mosaic paintings - smalt. In fact, this material was glass, in which particles of metals were added to give it certain shades. So with the addition of gold, the glass acquired a golden sheen. It is this brilliance that has prompted many craftsmen to choose gold mosaics for the background of their paintings. Even in the molten mass of smalt, copper and mercury were added in different ratios. So the ancient masters ensured that the mosaic particles acquired various shades necessary to create a composition.

Origin of Byzantine mosaic

The history of Byzantine mosaics dates back to the third or fourth century AD. It is this time that some of the most ancient examples of mosaics date back to. Interestingly, this art was at its peak in the sixth and seventh centuries, and then was revived and constantly used throughout the period from the ninth to the fourteenth century. Basically, samples of this art represent plots on a biblical theme, therefore, many of them are located in various religious buildings.

Features of the Byzantine style

As mentioned above, the main feature of the Byzantine style was the golden background, which is inherent in most paintings. Direct dialing is usually used as a dialing technique. Another feature of the mosaic panels made in the Byzantine style is the presence of clear contours of each object presented in the picture. As a rule, to achieve this, mosaic cubes laid out in a row were used for the outline. If the picture is viewed from a great distance, then such contours will make the acting characters more visible against the golden shimmering background.

The icon belongs to the rarest mosaic images in Sinai. It was probably sent from Constantinople, where one of the few centers for the production of such icons existed. Expensive mosaic icons required special and sophisticated craftsmanship, so the surviving monuments, almost without exception, are of the highest artistic level.

The image was collected from the smallest cubes of specially prepared vitreous smalt, which usually numbered more than a hundred shades and made it possible to convey the finest pictorial effects. Unlike painting with mineral paints, mosaic icons also had the special property of a durable precious surface, which in the views of the Byzantines was associated with the solemn brilliance and eternity of the divine world, with the walls of Heavenly Jerusalem, made of gold and precious stones (Rev. XXI, 18-21) .

Despite a small loss on the shoulder and right arm of the baby, all the details of the iconographic type are clearly visible. The Child, as if on a throne, sits on the right hand of the Mother of God. He holds a rolled scroll (the symbol of the Logos), likened to the royal scepter. Christ turns and blesses the Mother of God, who also turns to Him, slightly bowing her head as a sign of special closeness and maternal tenderness. However, the gaze of her thoughtful face is fixed in space. Byzantine descriptions of the icons of the Mother of God make it possible to understand the meaning of this strange look: the Mother of God foresees the future - the agony of the Cross and the expiatory sacrifice of the Divine Infant born by her. The gaze of Christ is also directed away from the Mother of God.

Both glances open the image into the space in front of the icon, belonging to the praying one, who thereby becomes involved in the silent and mysterious conversation between the two main characters in the history of salvation. The dramaturgy of gestures is also connected with this invisible prayer: Christ blesses the hand of the Mother of God, which not only points to the Savior of the world, but also turns to Him with a prayer for intercession and mercy. It's interesting that right hand The Mother of God compresses the edge of her maforium and at the same time the golden robe of Christ, clearly pointing to their symbolic connection and evoking in memory the image of the “veil of earthly flesh”, in which the ever-existing Lord of the world has put on.

The robes of Christ are completely different from the traditional chiton and himation. The figure is wrapped in a long cloak-like fabric, reaching to the very heels. Perhaps the icon painter was inspired by the image of the shroud, which covered the body of Christ during burial. Similar golden-woven shrouds were used in medieval funeral rituals. On the Sinai icon, the golden robe at the same time spoke of the royalty and sacrifice of Christ. Under this robe, at the collar and on the sleeve, a thin white shirt is visible, reminiscent of an incarnated baby. A rare combination of robes could evoke an association with the white and golden veils that consistently relied on each altar throne. This liturgical aspect of the image was "emphasized by another unusual detail in Christ's robes.

We are talking about a dark blue belt, bandaging the cloak under the chest. It goes back to the attire of the Old Testament high priest (Ex. XXXIX, 5). The ancient girdling under the chest was included in the rite of vestment of an Orthodox priest, signifying spiritual strength and readiness for service. It is noteworthy that the belt on the icon has a ribbon-like shape and is decorated with characteristic parallel stripes, making it look like an orarion and stole. In this regard, we note that the golden robe of Christ in the upper part resembles a priestly phelonion.

An important iconographic motif is the image of a baby's foot, which is unnaturally twisted, showing the heel. This detail is spread in the Byzantine iconography of the 12th-13th centuries, which, with the help of various pictorial techniques, focuses on the baby's heel, which undoubtedly had a special meaning. According to one of the interpretations, the symbolic motif of the “Heel of the Savior” was important for iconographers, going back to Old Testament prophecy (Gen. III, 15) and reinterpreted in liturgical texts as an image of a victorious sacrifice.

Color plays a huge role both in the symbolic and in the artistic solution of the Sinai icon.

The robes of the Mother of God and the Child are dotted with golden lines, the so-called assist, interpreted as a symbol of divine energies. At the same time, gold thickens in the figure of the baby, which thereby becomes the center of attraction in the pictorial structure of the icon. In contrast, the background is filled with a multi-colored ornament in the form of medallions with stylized flowers and shoots. vine. Such an ornament in the 12th century adorned Byzantine manuscripts, but it was no less popular in the art of cloisonné enamel. Apparently, the idea of ​​an ornamented background with the use of characteristic red medallions with Greek letters"Mother of God". The influence of cloisonné enamel, with its detailed gold design and generalized modeling, can also be seen in the style of the Sinai icon. It is significant how the icon painter, using the high mosaic technique, strives to imitate even higher, when gold itself finally becomes the material of the icon, the only one suitable for conveying the divine nature.

Byzantine mosaic

The beginning of the formation of Byzantine mosaics falls on the 3rd-4th centuries AD. It was during this era that the first mosaic compositions were created. The heyday of the mosaic art of Byzantium is considered to be the 6th-7th centuries of our era. In the future, this type of monumental painting experienced a crisis. Between the 9th and 14th centuries, mosaic art began to revive and develop. Most of the compositions are biblical scenes and images of saints that adorn the walls and ceilings of temples and churches.

Applying ancient techniques in making mosaics, the masters of Byzantium formed their own technique in creating works. Particles of transparent and matte smalt, and sometimes pebbles of various shapes and sizes, were glued together in a binder base at various angles of inclination. This technique allowed the sunlight to shimmer in different shades on the mosaic canvases.

The themes of the mosaic compositions were plots from the Bible. They seemed to transport believers to another world. Faces of Christ, images of angels and prophets, as well as the exaltation of the power of God's anointed became the main subjects of the mosaic works of Byzantium. At the same time, the plot with biblical characters was necessarily created on a golden background, which symbolized luxury and wealth. Thus, the Byzantine mosaicists wanted to create the effect of the viewer's involvement with the image.

The uneven shining surfaces of the mosaics were affected by the play of chiaroscuro, thereby forming an even greater halo of mystery in the interior.

Bright colorful tones created in the viewer the feeling that a miracle was about to happen.

Until now, the world-famous mosaics of Ravenna, a city located in the northern part of Italy, have been preserved. In this city in the 6th century AD the best masters mosaic art decorated the walls of the Church of San Vitale. Sunlight coming from the arched openings of the galleries and the dome allows the mosaic to sparkle with all shades of the color palette. On both sides of the windows are mosaics depicting Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora with their retinue.

The first mosaic depicts the emperor Justinian, who presents an offering to the church in the form of a golden bowl. A diadem adorns his head, the master also crowned it with a halo to show how strongly the emperor is committed to religion. Justinian is dressed in colored clothes, decorated with gold. On the right side of the emperor, two courtiers and several guards are depicted, whose figures are covered by a ceremonial shield with the monogram of Christ. On the left side of Justinian is an old man in the clothes of a senator and Bishop Maximian, holding a cross in his hand, as well as two deacons. The absolutely exact symmetry of the left and right sides of the mosaic canvas creates a sense of balance and harmony in the viewer.

On the opposite wall is a mosaic with the image of the emperor's wife Theodora. She enters the cathedral holding a chalice filled with gold coins. On her shoulders and neck are amazingly beautiful and exquisite necklaces. The empress's head is adorned with a crown with colorful pearl pendants. Her head is also crowned with a halo. On the left side of the wife of Justinian are the courtiers, whose tunics are decorated precious stones. On the right side of the empress are depicted a eunuch who opens the veil of the cathedral and a deacon. The mosaicist composed this composition on a golden background.

Both works give the viewer the feeling that the power of the emperor of Byzantium is strong and unshakable. How not to submit to such power when it is surrounded by such luxury and wealth.

It should also be noted the unique mosaic works in the Church of the Assumption in Nicaea, which were created in the 7th century AD. Unfortunately, the church was destroyed in 1922. Compositions depicting angels simply amaze the viewer with their beauty and magnificence. The images of angels are so noble that one gets the feeling that this is a real ideal of beauty of the ancient era. They are depicted in expressive attire of court guards against the golden background of the altar vault. Guarding the throne, they stand in pairs at it, holding banners in their hands. Angels appear before the viewer in a natural pose. At the same time, complex foreshortenings of the hands, through the palms of which the divine light shines through, make the images as realistic and expressive as possible.

Deserves special attention a mosaic canvas depicting the famous angel "Dynamis", which personifies the standard of perfection, nobility and spirituality. The face of an angel simply amazes with the richness of the inner world, the depth of emotions and feelings. Unfortunately, the name of the creator of this unique masterpiece is unknown.

A distinctive feature of the Byzantine style in mosaic art is that the masters observed the maximum accuracy of the proportions of human bodies. Often the figures were depicted by mosaicists in turn or movement. In most cases, the mosaic picture was composed in such a way as to visually emphasize the volume of the image.

lat. musioum - dedicated to the muses) was the main form of monumental temple painting in the early Byzantine period. It was a pattern made of smalt (multi-colored pieces of glass alloys with the addition of salts and oxides of various metals), which was strengthened on a layer of lime, cement or mastic. The mosaic was laid out on the tracing paper of the future image face down, and then the front surface was processed, polished and covered with wax. The mosaic technique was borrowed from Roman artists, who finished the floors in baths, villas and public buildings with smalt, made up of small cubes or stones. In the Byzantine era, mosaics were placed on the walls and in the domes of churches, although the first mosaics also decorated the floors in rich houses and palaces (fragments of the floor mosaics of the Great Imperial Palace in Constantinople). Byzantine mosaicists perfected the production of various smalts (especially gold), were able to accurately calculate the angle of incidence of light, making the surface of the mosaic rough, achieved great skill in adding multi-figure compositions, took into account the laws of optics in merging colors, which contributed to the creation of magnificent pictorial effects. The oldest Byzantine mosaics (the baptistery and the mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, 5th century) were distinguished by their fine masonry, marked contours, lack of perspective and space, and the use of carpet ornamentation. From antiquity, the nobility of proportions, the beauty of faces with regular features, and rich color were perceived. The Christian era brought spirituality, symbolic ambiguity, agitated dynamics, and schematism into the Ravenna mosaics, replacing sensual picturesqueness. From the end of the 5th century and in subsequent eras, the Constantinopolitan school of mosaicists stood out, creating compositions on a white background with the help of small even mosaic cubes laid in patterned rows. The masters of Constantinople used ancient pastoral scenes, interpreted as Christian allegories, and early Christian motifs (mosaics of the church of St. John the Baptist in Palestine; a mosaic map that adorned the floor of the church in Madaba, Transjordan, 6th century; under Justin II - mosaics on gospel scenes in the church St. Apostles and in the Church of St. Sophia in Constantinople, VI century). New features appeared in the cycles of mosaics in the church of Sant'Apollinare Nuova (before 526), ​​in the churches of San Vitale and Sant'Apollinare in Classe (mid-6th century) in Ravenna. Luminous mosaics filling all the walls gave the impression of light, weightless; color has acquired a symbolic meaning; the silhouettes of the outlined figures became ghostly, as if floating in the air. In the mosaics of the Church of the Assumption in Nicaea (VII century) and in the church of St. Demetrius in Thessaloniki (restored c. 634, but most of the mosaics were destroyed in a fire in 1917), small cubes were placed at small angles to each other, which contributed to the creation of chiaroscuro and increased the spirituality of the images, their spiritualization. By permission of the emperor, the masters of Constantinople decorated mosques and palaces in the territory of Jerusalem conquered by the Arabs (mosaics of the Temple of the Rock, 691 - 192) and Damascus (Great Mosque, c. 715). In the IX - XII centuries. the influence of the East increased: squat figures, flatness, ornamentation appear in mosaics, but majestic images and strict construction, characteristic of ancient art, are preserved. During this period, uneven surfaces of the internal walls were assigned to mosaics. The compositions were dominated by tendencies towards expression, symbolism (the temple is like New Jerusalem, where the life of Jesus Christ is lived during the liturgy), the pronounced individuality of the master (the mosaics of the Nea Moni monastery on the island of Chios; the image of the emperors Constantine and Justin in front of the Mother of God sitting on a throne above the southern doors in the church of St. Sophia in Constantinople, in the same place - Emperor Leo VI before Christ above the western entrance to the cathedral; the Virgin and Child in the apse of the Church of the Assumption in Nicaea, after 843; mosaic compositions in the main church of the Hosios Loukas monastery in Fokida, etc. ). In the XII century. the art of mosaics became more intimate and deep (mosaics of the Church of the Assumption in Daphne, near Athens), but at the same time, a linear stylization of figures in strictly frontal poses appeared in a number of compositions. The mosaic cubes on the face were laid out in parallel lines with sharply underlined gaps (The Virgin and Child, Emperor John II Komnenos and Empress Irina in the Church of St. Sophia, c. 1118). In the Palaiologan era, a new style developed, characteristic features which was covered with mosaics of the arch, dome and upper parts of the walls of the temple, the emergence of secular tendencies in the depiction of religious themes, everyday details, the strengthening of the personal principle in the guise of saints (mosaics of the Church of Christ the Savior of the monastery of Chora, the Church of Our Lady of Pammacarista in Constantinople; mosaic Deesis in the southern gallery of St. Sophia in Constantinople, etc.). In the XIV century. appeared a large number of magnificent mosaic icons created by Constantinople masters. Because mosaics were expensive, the Palaiologan style is more fully represented by fresco painting.