Византийские очерки. Труды российских ученых к XXIV Международному Конгрессу византинистов

Abstract: The paper questions the traditional interpretation of combining mosaic and fresco painting in Byzantine churches as a mark of some local, provincial traditions, or an indication to the lack of resources and masters. The author surveys the existing examples of such combination in Byzantine art from the 5^th to the 14^th centnry in different regions, inclnding Thessaloniki, Monnt Athos and Constantinople. This survey shows that combining mosaics and frescoes in one interior was a rather widespread practice in Byzantine chnrch art, encountered also in the ensembles of the metropolitan circle. Besides this, it is clear that fresco painting was also made under or next to mosaic for some auxiliary, technical functions. Special attention is paid to the two largest 11^th century ensembles combining mosaics and frescoes: St Sophia in Kiev and Hosios Loukas in Phocis. In St Sophia in Kiev the recent research has brought to light new data. The Ukranian restorers Yu. Ko-renuyk, R. Gutsulyak and N. Shevchenko have revealed some points where plaster painted al fresco with ornamental motifs or plain colour is found under the mosaic tesserae. They interpreted this fact as an indication that the frescoes were painted first and at some later phase were substituted with mosaics. Analyzing similar cases in Byzantine churches, the author shows that this hypothesis can hardly hold true. It is more likely that the mosaics and frescoes belong to the same phase of decoration made by a large team of masters. The closest parallel may be found in the mosaics and frescoes of Hosios Loukas. The author’s recent research at the katholikon of Hosios Loukas has shown that here too in many points the painted frames and ornaments made al fresco are underlying the mosaics. This was caused by technical and aesthetical aspects of combining the two techniques and the marble revetment. The author puts forward some new arguments proving that these decoration works were carried out by one large workshop in the same period of time. Besides this, the author makes two more hypotheses connected with the issue of relation between mosaics, wall paintings and marble decoration. First, the Joshua mural which had been painted on the wall of the Theotokos chnrch connected with the katholikon and subsequently covered with a marble panel in the process of its decoration, is very close in style to other wall paintings in the katholikon and should be dated not to the second half of the 10^th but to the first half of the 11^th century. Second, the unusual choice of the two mosaic images of St Athanasius and St Gregory the Theologian in the altar may be an indication that these were the patron saints of the monk Gregory, who was the donor of the marble decoration, and the abbot Athanasius. The latter is painted in the crypt together with two other assumed donors, the abbots Philotheus and Theodosius, whose patron saints were also put in prominent positions among the images of saints in mosaics and wall paintings of Hosios Loukas katholikon.

Keywords: Byzantine painting, Byzantine mosaics, Byzantine frescoes, church of St Sophia in Kiev, Hosios Loukas monastery.

В научной литературе о византийской монументальной живописи дополнение фресками мозаик, занимающих центральное и алтарное пространство храма, традиционно считалось признаком провинциальности, неким вынужденным решением, связанным с экономией средств и нехваткой кадров или же местной особенностью[117]. В частности, именно так интерпретировался самый крупный ансамбль с мозаиками и фресками – собор Св. Софии в Киеве (ок. 1037 г.)[118] (Рис. 1). Археологические и письменные свидетельства о существовании такой комбинации двух техник в других киевских храмах (Десятинной церкви, Успенском соборе Киево-Печерской лавры и др.)[119], как и частично сохранившийся ансамбль Михайловского Златоверхого монастыря (ок. 1112 г.)[120] подкрепляли мнение о том, что такая комбинация стала местной особенностью монументальной живописи Киевской Руси.