Where did the mosaic come from in Byzantium. Byzantine painting. Icon painting, mosaic, fresco, book miniature. Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
These mosaics have different purposes, different technologies and they evoke completely different feelings. In the first case, we are transferred to the divine world, in the second, we remain to admire the mosaics in the earthly world.
Mosaic. Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Roman mosaic.
Byzantine mosaic- The most ancient surviving samples of Byzantine mosaics date back to the 3rd-4th centuries, and two periods of prosperity fall on the 6th-7th centuries (golden age) and IX-XIV (after iconoclasm - the Macedonian revival, the conservatism of the Komnenos and the Palaiologan renaissance). The most famous Byzantine mosaics are those of Ravenna and images of Hagia Sophia (Constantinople).
Distinctive features:
1. Purpose: to move the beholder from the earthly world to the divine (due to technology, shining color, haze, gold).
2. Plots: grandiose in conception and implementation of monumental canvases on biblical subjects. Christian stories became the central theme of the mosaics, the desire to achieve the maximum impression of the image became the driving force behind the improvement of mosaic laying techniques and the development of new colors and compositions of smalt.
3. The material is, first of all, a mosaic of smalt (various metals (gold, copper, mercury) were added to the raw glass mass in various proportions and they learned how to make several hundred different colors of smalt). The colors of the smalt turned out to be bright, pure, transparent, radiant, divine. This is a hint at a non-earthly, divine world. Sunlight, falling on the smalt, comes to life and is colored by its color.
It was the Byzantines who developed the technology for the production of smalt.
4. Technology: the elements were laid at different angles to the wall and had an uneven surface, this allowed the light (daylight and candles) to be reflected in the colored smalt and give a haze over the mosaic that was tangible by the body. The mosaics were laid out using the direct set method, and each element in the laying was distinguished by its unique surface and its position relative to other elements and the base. A single and living golden field was created, shimmering both in natural light and in candlelight. The uniqueness of the play of shades of color and reflections of light on a golden background created the effect of movement of the whole picture, a person was transferred to the divine world.
5. The shape of the mosaic elements - mostly cubes - it was the compositions of neatly laid out small and more or less the same size cubes that created fame for Byzantine mosaics.
6. Functions: visual tasks came to the fore (the main element of the artistic decoration of cathedrals, tombs, basilicas).
7. A feature of the Byzantine mosaics in the temples was the use of an amazing golden background. Gold is divine light.
8. Obligatory for the Byzantine masters was the technique of making the contours of bodies, objects, objects. The contour was laid out in one row of cubes and elements from the side of the figure or object, and also in one row - from the side of the background. The smooth line of such contours gave clarity to images against a flickering background.
12th century Byzantine mosaic in the conch of the apse of the cathedral in Cefalu, Sicily. Christ Pantocrator
Mosaics of Ravenna.
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.
"Garden of Eden" - mosaic on the ceiling 
The cross and the starry sky are a mosaic in the dome. This mosaic demonstrates the triumph of Christ over death, His absolute power over the created world. 
Mosaic "Christ the Good Shepherd". The image of Jesus is not at all canonical. 
Deer drinking from a spring. The plot of the mosaic is inspired by the verses of Psalm 41: “As a doe desires to streams of water, so my soul desires to You, O God!” .
The color is divine, the colors are truly luminous.
Emperor Justinian.
Empress Theodora with retinue. 6th c. in the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna. 526-547
And here's a bigger one.
And here you can see the ornaments of fabrics
Church of San Apolinare.
And this is a procession of martyrs from one of the walls in the Church of San Apolinar in Ravenna.
Ravenna. Mosaic in the apse of San Apollinare
Ravenna. Mosaic in the Church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo of Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna
Mosaic depicting the city and port in Class
Barbarically dressed magi offering gifts to Christ, fragment
Procession of Martyrs, fragment
Christ and four angels
Poem Byzantine mosaics
In shimmering smalt oriental mosaics,
Without the joys of earthly existence
The harsh age has arrived. And God's face
Became a canon, looking from the conch * apsides.
The regulation keeps the foundation of life,
But the luxury of colors surpasses Rome.
The artist is a worm before wall painting,
No name, even though the temple was created by him.
Under the magnificent vault soars the blessing,
Saints in shining robes stand,
Like faith guards at royal places ** -
A line of strict guards of soldiers.
In Europe of the spirit, life was freer
In blooming frescoes of gloomy churches.
May 20, 2011 Vladimir Gogolitsin
*Conha - semi-dome ceiling of the apse inside the church.
** In the early Romanesque Byzantine churches in the main hall
usually there was a place for the head of state near the column.
ROMAN mosaic
The oldest Roman mosaics found during archaeological excavations date back to the 4th century BC. And during the heyday of the Roman Empire, mosaics became the most common way to decorate the interior, both in palaces and public baths, and private atriums.
Distinctive features:
1. Purpose: to entertain the beholder (beauty) and functionality, durability.
2. Three-dimensional mosaics with three-dimensional forms.
3. Material: preference is given to marble and natural stones. The color of the stones is matte, muted, not clear; it does not give the glow inherent in Byzantine mosaics.
4. Plots - everyday, earthly, real (fish, animals, people, birds, wreaths of grape leaves and hunting scenes with detailed images of animals, mythological characters and heroic campaigns, love stories and genre scenes from everyday life, sea voyages and military battles , theatrical masks and dance steps.The choice of plot for a particular mosaic was determined either by the customer (sometimes the mosaic depicted even a portrait of the owner of the house, for example), or by the purpose of the building).
5. Technology: the elements were laid parallel to the wall one after the other with straight masonry. The surface of the elements was smooth. Earthly feelings.
6. Form: the background elements of Roman mosaics are usually light and fairly large, often the background is formed by plain stones with a chaotic laying in no particular order. Elements of drawings and figures are smaller, but often still large for the selected drawing. A variety of colors often depends on the capabilities of the master in a particular settlement or, apparently, the financial capabilities of customers. If the mosaics of large palaces sometimes amaze with the sophistication of colors, then small compositions seem limited in the choice of colors.
7. Roman mosaics are characterized by ease of perception and at the same time the impression of luxury and wealth. Unlike the soulful and monumental images of Byzantine mosaics, which will be built later, the Roman mosaic is more ordinary and at the same time elegantly decorative, festive.
Fist fighters. ancient roman mosaic
On the banks of the Nile. ancient roman mosaic
Fight of Gladiators.
Ancient Roman mosaic on the wall in the Bardo Museum 
Museum of ancient Roman mosaics in Tunisia
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Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
School No. 174
On the topic: " Mosaics of Byzantium»
Done by 8th grade student
Volchenkov Miroslav
Saint Petersburg 2013
Introduction
1. General characteristics of the Byzantine mosaic
2. Analysis of the Byzantine mosaic style
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
Relevance Byzantine mosaics are the most characteristic creation of the Byzantine genius. Mosaic, a special kind of monumental painting, which is created from durable materials. But even in the 21st century, mosaics are as relevant as they were many centuries ago.
Source analysis: the book “A Brief History of Art” by N.A. Dmitriev, "Essays on the History of Art" edited by N.E. Grigorovich and G.G. Pospelov are devoted to the development of world art. "Culturology" edited by A.N. Markova and "Introduction to Art Studies" by Ilyin G.V. open to us the course of world artistic culture.
Problem identification of characteristic features and peculiarities of mosaic images.
Target collect and process material on mosaic painting of the Byzantine era.
Object of study the process of formation and evolution of the mosaic of Byzantium in the Middle Ages.
Subject of study features of the artistic image in the mosaic painting of the Renaissance.
Tasks
1. Analyze the literature on mosaic painting in Byzantium.
2. Develop a chronological and comparative-analytical table dedicated to mosaic images.
3. Based on the collected material, analyze and characterize the features of the Byzantine mosaic.
Research method analytical
Scientific noveltya performing an independent analysis of the artistic image of the Byzantine mosaic based on the scientific method and tools of creative thinking.
Practical significance the material collected in the abstract can be used to prepare a perception lesson in high school.
1 . General characteristics of Byzantine mosaics
Leonardo da Vinci, in his Treatise on Painting, called this type of art "divine" and said that he was aware of problems and topics that were inaccessible to other types of art. The language of painting is more conventional than the language of architecture and sculpture who own the three-dimensional space. Painting, like graphics, appeals more to the viewer's imagination, creating the illusion of space and volume and forcing it to serve the image conceived by the artist. According to its role and technique, painting is divided into monumental (monumental-decorative), easel and miniature.
Simultaneously with the addition of the early Byzantine temple, the style of wall painting was formed. Her favorite technique was mosaic, which has its origins in antiquity. Byzantine mosaicists used all the richness of the colorful spectrum. Their palette includes soft blue, green and bright blue colors, lavender, pink and red in different shades. The mosaic achieves its greatest strength due to the merging of color spots with a golden background.
The Byzantines loved gold: it mattered to them both as a symbol of wealth and luxury, and as the brightest of colors.
Mosaic - the oldest kind of painting, typesetting. Semi-precious stones (agate, jasper, lapis lazuli, etc.) were widely used in mosaics. Patterns of squares, triangles, and circles were laid out on the floor from marble and other stones. Mosaics are always made of stone, laid, like any ancient mosaic, by the so-called direct set directly into the ground, and then polished. Monumental painting - mosaic was collected from special colored stones. The background was also made of smalt, only colorless; between two such colorless pieces, the thinnest sheet of gold or gold (later silver was also used) foil was laid. The set of stone was very diverse - from chalcedony porphyry to onyx and lapis lazuli.
The technique of mosaics is complex and requires great skill. Small multi-colored cubes of smalt (an alloy of glass with mineral paints), from which the image is laid out on the wall, flicker, flash, shimmer, reflecting light.
The freedom of laying small cubes of smalt, similar to rich strokes of a brush, creates a picturesqueness close to the principles of ancient art. At the same time, the surface seems completely immaterial: there is not a single hard or hard line in the image, they all look elusive, and this impression is completed by the iridescent shimmer of the mosaic.
2 . Style AnalysisByzantine mosaics
Byzantine mosaic smalt painting
The history of the existence of the mosaic has several millennia.
This type of art occupied a dominant position in the decoration of Byzantine churches in the era of the establishment of Christianity. The walls and ceilings were painted with mosaic images of gospel scenes, images of Christ and the apostles. The masterpieces of mosaic painting undoubtedly include: "The Good Shepherd in the Garden of Eden" is depicted in the mausoleum of Galla Placidia. Reminiscent of the meek Orpheus of ancient myths; he is surrounded by sheep, trustingly taking food from his hands. The type of young Christ is an attribute of a deity. "The Baptism of Christ and the Apostles" in Ravenna, a historical moment is demonstrated on the mosaic. There is a symbolism of the descent of the holy spirit on Christ and then from him to the apostles. "Nicaean Angels". Not inferior to the best antique portraits. Four winged figures, with banners and orbs in their hands, dressed in luxurious clothes of court bodyguards, stood against the dark gold background of the altar vault.
The golden background was always used by Byzantine mosaicists: it closed the depicted space without disturbing the plane of the wall, and at the same time gave rise to the feeling of a breathing, mysteriously shimmering golden sky.
Mosaics created the illusion of a miracle, miraculous, incomprehensible.
Mosaic especially reveals its beauty on curved surfaces, under the vaults of the temple, loves oblique rays of light. Placed at different angles, pieces of smalt shimmer with different shades and create a beautiful exciting spectacle.
Byzantine mosaicists were able to extract magnificent picturesque effects from the features of smalt, very accurately calculating the angle of incidence of light and making the surface of the mosaic not quite smooth, but somewhat rough. They also took into account the optical fusion of colors in the eye of the viewer looking at the mosaic from a great distance. Time has almost no power over the mosaic of ancient masters: when it is cleaned of old dust and soot, it turns out to be the same shining and sonorous color as it was many centuries ago.
The oldest Byzantine mosaics are found in the temples and tombs of Ravenna.
Conclusion
In preparing the abstract, books devoted to the development of world art were used. Particularly the Middle Ages. On the basis of source materials, a comparative-analytical table of Byzantine mosaics has been developed. According to which the analysis of the Byzantine mosaic style was carried out.
We can draw the following conclusion: In the painting of the VI-VII centuries. a specifically Byzantine image crystallizes, cleansed of foreign influences. It is based on the experience of the masters of the East and West, who independently came to the creation of a new art, corresponding to the spiritualistic ideals of medieval society. In this art, there are already different directions, mosaics were distinguished by excellent workmanship, picturesqueness and colorful variety, quivering and iridescence of colors. One of the most perfect works of this era was the mosaics in the dome of the Church of the Assumption in Nike - "Nicaean Angels".
Other trends in the art of early Byzantium, embodied in the mosaics of Ravenna, Sinai, Thessaloniki, mark the rejection of ancient reminiscences by Byzantine masters. The images become more ascetic, not only the sensual, but also the emotional moment in such art no longer has a place, but spirituality reaches extraordinary strength.
In the VI-VII centuries. Byzantine artists were able not only to absorb these diverse influences, but also, having overcome them, create their own style in art. Since that time, Constantinople has become a renowned artistic center of the medieval world, a "palladium of sciences and arts." It is followed by Ravenna, Rome, Nicaea, Thessalonica, which also became the focus of the Byzantine artistic style.
Bibliography
1. N.A. Dmitrieva Brief history of art. - M.: Publishing house 1969. - release 1.
2. Essays on the history of art / Under. Ed. NOT. Grigorovich and G.G. Pospelova - M.: Soviet artist 1987.
3. Cultural studies. / Under. Ed. A.N. Markova - M.: UNITI 2000 2nd ed.
4. Ilyina T.V. Introduction to art history. - M.: Astrel 2003.
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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. The 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. Interestingly, with her right hand, the Mother of God squeezes 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 multicolored ornament in the form of medallions with stylized flowers and vine shoots. 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 the Greek letters "Mother of God" goes back to precious salaries and gold enamel icons. 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.
Mosaic - drawing up pictures or panels from small homogeneous particles. These can be colored stones, ceramics, shells, or pieces of wood and glass that are placed on a pre-prepared surface. Why is Byzantine mosaic more famous? Because this fine art was very developed in Byzantium at different periods of its history.
Historical retrospective
The art of laying out patterns and whole plot pictures from multi-colored pieces (stones, ceramic tiles, colored glass, etc.) originated in ancient times. It developed in different countries and everywhere had its own special features.
Roman mosaic paintings are known that covered the floors and walls of palaces, baths or public buildings. Panels were made of pebbles and smalt.
- special glass, which was given different colors with the help of additives: gold, mercury, copper, etc. Metals were added in various combinations and proportions and different shades of smalt were obtained.
But Byzantine art rose a notch higher than Roman art. The craftsmen were able to work out in detail the technology of obtaining the necessary raw materials to create magnificent mosaic paintings.
To begin with, individual elements became much smaller and more elegant, which allowed for more sophisticated works. Then the basis of the mosaic - smalt - was subjected to improvements.
It was the ancient craftsmen who learned how to mix ordinary glass with various additives, as a result they received several hundred colors and shades. Skillful artists began to create mosaic canvases of magnificent richness from these colored pieces.
The quality of the old work was so high that the mosaic did not fade with time. And modern connoisseurs of artwork can also admire ancient masterpieces.
What is a Byzantine mosaic - video
The themes of the composite mosaic also differed from the ancient ones. Unlike the Romans, in Byzantium, the basis for the panels were, first of all, Christian subjects and biblical stories. And the decoration was intended, first of all, for places of worship.
These panels were distinguished not only by skillful composition and selection of colors, but also by an unprecedented scope and monumentality. These are truly huge canvases that made an indelible impression on the audience.
Stages of development of Byzantine art in mosaics
The history of Byzantine mosaics goes back many centuries. The first samples of smalt found date back to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. And the most ancient of the surviving mosaics belong to the III-IV centuries. The most famous ancient examples of Byzantine mosaic art are those in Ravenna and in Hagia Sophia, Constantinople.
Samples of ancient smalt were also found in Kyiv. It is believed that ancient Russian masters worked under the guidance of Byzantine artists. This art reached its peak precisely during the heyday of the Empire. Further, the methods of laying pictures spread to many European countries.
In general, the art of the Empire had a huge impact on the cultures of all of the then and even subsequent Europe. It is believed that during the period of iconoclasm in the Empire (in the VIII - early IX centuries) all ancient images were destroyed.
Only those with geometric figures and crosses remained. But then, when the iconoclasm was over, the art of adding a picture with the figures and faces of the saints was revived. And it improved, reaching an almost unprecedented beauty and grace of forms.
However, with the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks, the ancient frescoes of Sofia were plastered over for many centuries or damaged. In 1929, Ataturk ordered the cathedral to be put in order, restored and turned into a museum. Thanks to this, many ancient decorations were saved from complete extinction and restored.
Artistic Features
Smalt compositions in Byzantium have always been more colorful than those of the Romans, many shades and play of color. The main color for the background is gold.
The main features of the Byzantine mosaic:
Composition features
Work technology
Although the craftsmen were able to give individual elements any geometric shapes, small rectangular or square cubes became the basis for laying. Oval and other elements are less common.
The main technique of Byzantine mosaic is direct set. Smalt cubes with an unpolished surface are stacked in a row. And they must be very close to each other. 
Compared to ancient examples, these elements are much smaller and more elegant. Thanks to this, it is possible to achieve a subtle expression of faces and a color transition. Also, a distinctive feature is the more refined laying of faces, clothes, small details.
Golden, shimmering background is the main condition and difference from other styles. The image itself has an uneven surface and a specific, special brilliance. Other distinguishing features and features of the technique are the correct proportions of objects. This is especially true for later images.
Antiquity and modernity
It should be noted that many techniques of Byzantine mosaics are still used in such works. These features of laying and finishing have become not only the calling card of the masters of those centuries. But also a classic of art crafts, to which many modern artists turn.
Video examples of Byzantine mosaics
For example, some modern Orthodox churches are also decorated with mosaic paintings, in accordance with the ancient Byzantine canons. And in the Art Academy of Ravenna, one of the "mosaic" centers of antiquity, there is a department where this ancient art is studied.
Experts from all over the world come to this city for seminars and symposiums. And the graduates of the academy work as restorers and make copies of famous paintings of Byzantine antiquity.
Where can you see all this?
Magnificent examples of Byzantine mosaics can be seen if you go to Istanbul and visit the ancient Hagia Sophia. The richest historical and artistic treasures are located in the ancient city of Italy, Ravenna. 
Magnificent mosaic panels adorn local cathedrals, baptisteries and mausoleums of ancient rulers. These are perhaps the most famous works of this style in the world.
In Hagia Sophia, you experience amazing sensations from the closeness of history. Either a scrawled autograph of a crusader, or a cross on the wall.
Its walls keep traces of reconstructions and repairs and therefore seem even more ancient, how many people worked on it, how many prayed, how many hid behind its walls in times of disaster. This energy of the place is very effective, it seems - stay here for the night, and it will be filled with ghosts in togas and armor, and the walls themselves will cry out. For an archaeologist, it is an object of study, here every stone can tell about something.
A separate story is the Hagia Sophia mosaics. They appeared later and, unfortunately, were shot down by the Turks in many places, it is noticeable that they were the size of an outstretched arm with a saber, but partially plastered, “the soldier’s hand was tired of stabbing. “What was plastered - left to live. The mosaics were cleared in 1935 when Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum.
Mosaics in the early period of Byzantine art were mostly ornamental. What is considered to be from the period of Justinian.
In the first centuries of Christianity, there were ornaments, landscapes and animals on the walls of temples. Believers needed images of their saints, but there was no established canon yet.
Jesus Christ could be depicted as a good shepherd young and in the armor of a Roman legionnaire. The green color of the background symbolizes youth and cheerfulness of life. 6th century mosaic in Ravenna.
A flock of sheep became a symbol of the flock quite early. Gradually, a purely Christian symbolism was formed. For example, a palm branch - an attribute of imperial triumphs - meant heavenly bliss, a dove with an olive branch became a symbol of the soul, and an anchor - the personification of hope for salvation and eternal life. Peacock - immortality. Rooster - dawn, rebirth of the day. The horse is a double symbol: a beginning life and a fading life. Griffin - power over heaven and earth. Hare - rebirth and light in the darkness. Deer drinking water - a symbol of Christian souls, thirsty for communion with the faith, a bowl of water - a symbol of baptism. The vine is a symbol of the blood of Christ, someone will remember the favorite plot of baroque iconostasis carving - a climbing vine. Bread is the body of Christ. There was a language of symbols understandable to a Christian.
Quite quickly, a separate relationship to gold was established; Byzantine mosaics were mainly made on a gold background. Gold in a temple for a Byzantine is not at all a synonym for wealth today. It symbolized divine light. Mosaics, in contrast to the ancient ones, which were made of pebbles, were made of smalt. Smalt, due to its unevenness, creates a shaky reflection on the surfaces, which lies less evenly and is therefore mysterious.
The period of iconoclasm stopped for some time the search for artistic images of saints, but after it the process continued. On the mosaics preserved in Hagia Sophia, you can see later images in their familiar, canonical, well-established form.
In the apse there is an image of the Mother of God. The Mother of God was associated with wisdom, therefore she is the mistress of the temple. The image was restored according to the previous one, destroyed during the period of iconoclasm. The Mother of God is beautiful, she symbolizes Beauty, Photius wrote about her: “The sight of Her beauty elevates our spirit to the supersensible beauty of truth.” Beauty for the Byzantine was a synonym for divinity, it was no coincidence that one of the empresses, who was not distinguished by beauty, was expelled. The color of the clothes - dark blue on a gold background - sublime, a combination later associated with the imperial spirit of the Napoleonic time.
According to legend, the mosaic was made by the Greek artist Lazarus, who suffered from the iconoclasts. (died 854).
An angel standing before the Mother of God.
On the tympanum of the Royal Doors, Emperor Leo VI is depicted bowing before Jesus Christ blessing him, and to the right and left of Christ are the figures of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel in round medallions. This mosaic, executed at the border of the 10th and 11th centuries, symbolizes the eternal power bestowed by God on the Byzantine emperors. Leo VI, according to the interpretation of some researchers, did not accidentally fall on his face, he begs for forgiveness in connection with his fourth non-canonical marriage, after which Patriarch Nicholas the Mystic refused to marry Vasilevs and did not let him into the temple.
The tympanum of the southwestern entrance is decorated with a mosaic picture made in the middle of the 10th century, representing the Mother of God sitting on a throne with the baby Jesus Christ in her arms; Emperors stand on both sides of the throne: Constantine I, offering them a model of Constantinople, and Justinian I with a model of Hagia Sophia.
The composition is already symmetrical and resembles a deesis tier.
Around 878, images of Saints Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Dionysius the Areopagite, Gregory the Theologian, Ignatius the God-bearer were created in the niches of the northern tympanum of the patriarchal chambers. The type of faces literally coincides with the images in the manuscripts made in the patriarchal workshops. The figures are pillar-like, full of dignity, symbolic moments are enlarged and emphasized: these are crosses on the omophorions (robes) of saints, huge, three-dimensionally interpreted gospel codices in their hands, demonstratively exaggerated hands of saints.
During the reign of Constantine Monomakh (1042-1056), a mosaic depicting the appearance of Constantine Monomakh and Empress Zoya before the Savior was made. Many subtle shades appeared in the mosaic, creating a complex pictorial range, however, at the same time, the integrity and majesty of previous periods were somewhat lost.
The imperial couple is presented at the moment of the ritual of enthronement of Hagia Sophia with a list of gifts. Here the letter is held in the hands of Empress Zoya, the legitimate heiress of Constantine VIII, depicted as a young beauty (she was actually 66 years old at that moment). Konstantin Monomakh presses to his chest a bag of gold, which was given by the emperor to the clergy of the temple as a personal gift.
History made its own adjustments, Zoya was married three times, Konstantin was her third husband. And the mosaic underwent changes, the "portrait" of the previous husband was knocked down and replaced with the head of the new emperor. And Zoe's head was knocked off at the moment when she was in exile due to palace intrigues. When Zoya returned to the throne again, the head was restored, which again speaks of the Byzantine tradition of using the artistic heritage with care for new purposes.
On the walls of the upper gallery are mosaic portraits of another imperial family: Emperor John Komnenos and his wife Irina, standing to the left and right of the Virgin.
The Empress was the Hungarian princess Piroshka, which means "beautiful girl", the daughter of the Hungarian king Laszlo, was born in the city of Esztergom in 1088, she was married against her will. In Constantinople, she adopted Orthodoxy and the name of Irina.
There is also an upper fragment of a mosaic from the second half of the 13th century, in which the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist on Judgment Day ask Christ Pantocrator to have mercy on humanity (the so-called Deesis).
If we compare the three depictions of Christ in Hagia Sophia, we can see the development of his image and the approach to the canon, which is well known to us.
The mosaic is very beautifully done. Golden "shadows" are rays of God-bearing light, which are traditionally depicted on the clothes of saints.
Our Russian art picked up the Byzantine tradition at the time of the baptism of Russia, the mosaics of St. Sophia of Kyiv have something in common with the mosaics of St. Sophia of Constantinople.