Archive
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2024. # 2 (176). P. 259-476 DOI... read »
«Narodoznavchi Zoshyty» 2017 year, issue 5 read »
2013 year, issue 3 read »
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2022. #4 (166). P. 745-1010 DOI... read »

« 2024. # 6 (180)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2024. № 6 (180), 1450—1460

UDK 738.5(477.411)”10/111″

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

SOME METHODS OF DEPICTING LIGHT IN THE KYIV MOSAICS OF THE XI — EARLY XII CENTURIES

SHEVLIUGA Oleksandra

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5404-0900
  • PhD in Art History,
  • Head of the Research Department
  • of Old Art,
  • National Art Museum of Ukraine,
  • 6 Mykhailo Hrushevskoho Street, 01001, Kyiv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: oshevliuga@namu.ua
  • oshevliuga@gmail.com

Abstract. The article is devoted to the problem of depicting divine light in the mosaic decoration of St. Sophia of Kyiv, second quarter of the eleventh century, and St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral, 1108—1113. In Byzantine art, gold symbolised divine light, so the background in Byzantine churches was made with golden mosaics. But the figures of Christ, the Mother of God, angels and saints also shone with this golden light.

We are interested in light not as an artistic tool for the plastic structure of the form, modeling the volume, we are focused precisely on the methods of transmission of the divine, uncreated, mystical light, the golden rays of which shine on the figures and the background on the walls of the temples. We do not intend to determine the nature of this light or its original source, or to engage in theological debates on this issue. Our attention is focused on something else.

The aim of the article is to study the methods of depicting golden light on mosaic figures of Kyiv churches.

The task was to identify and analyse the lighting devices characteristic of Byzantine mosaic technique and their implementation in Kyiv ensembles.

The comparative method and methods of art historical analysis and synthesis were used in the work.

Keywords: divine light, Hesychasm, Byzantine mosaic, art of Rus’.

Received 8.11.2024

REFERENCES

  • Scherbakivs’kyj, D.M. (1921). Symbolism in Ukrainian art. Ukrainian Scientific Society: Collection of the Art Section, 1, 55—74 [in Ukrainian].
  • Miliaeva, L., & Shevliuga, O. (2021). The Category of Light in the Ukrainian Art. From Byzantium to Baroque. Anastasis. Research in Medieval Culture and Art, VIII, 2, 25—38. DOI:10.35218/armca.2021.2.02.
  • Povstenko, O. (1954). The Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kyiv. Annals of the Ukrainian Free Academy of Sciences in the United States, 4 (10)—1, 2 (11—12) [in Ukrainian].
  • Lazarev, V.N. (1960). Mosaics of St. Sophia of Kiev. With an attached of an article by A.A. Beletsky on Greek inscriptions on mosaics. Moscow: Art [in Russian].
  • Lazarev, V.N. (1966). Mikhailovsky mosaics. With an article by V.I. Levitskaya on the palette of Mikhailovsky mosaics. Moscow: Art [in Russian].
  • Lohvyn, G.N. (1971). Sophia of Kyiv: Album. Kyiv: Art [in Ukrainian].
  • Lohvyn, H.N. (2001). St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Kyiv: Art [in Ukrainian].
  • Popova, O.S. (2006). Light in the Byzantine and Russian Art of the ХІ— ХІV centuries. Problems of Byzantine Art. Mosaics, frescoes, icons (Pp. 83—148). Moscow: Severnyj palomnik [in Russian].
  • Popova, O.S. (2006). Mosaics of Sofia of Kiev and Byzantine monumental writing of the second quarter of the XI century. Problems of Byzantine Art. Mosaics, frescoes, icons (Pp. 211—296). Moscow: Severnyj palomnik [in Russian].
  • Popova, O.S. (2006). Mosaics of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev and Byzantine art of the end of the XI — beginning of the XII century. Problems of Byzantine Art. Mosaics, frescoes, icons (Pp. 297—352). Moscow: Severnyj palomnik [in Russian].
  • Nikitenko, N. (2016). Mosaics of Sophia of Kyiv. Kyiv: Horobets’ [in Ukrainian].
  • Koreniuk, Yu., Skrypnyk G.A. (Ed.). (2010). Monumental painting. The history of Ukrainian art: in 5 vol. The art of the Middle Ages (Vol. 2, pp. 577—656). Kyiv: IMFE im. M. Ryl’s’koho; NANU [in Ukrainian].
  • Koreniuk, Yu. (2013). Mosaics of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral: Catalogue. Kyiv: ADEF Ukraina [in Ukrainian].
  • Averincev, S.S. (2004). Gold in the system of symbols of early Byzantine culture. Poetics of Early Byzantine Literature (Pp. 404—425). St. Petersburg: Azbuka-klassika [in Russian].
  • Demus, O. (1976). Byzantine Mosaic Decoration: Aspects of Monumental Art in Byzantium. Athens: Aristide D Caratzas Pub.
  • Cormack, R. (2000). The Mother of God in Apse Mosaics. Mother of God. Representations of the Virgin in Byzantine Art (Pp. 91—106). Benaki Museum, Athens; Milano: Skira editor.
  • Chadzidakis, N. (1994). Greek Art. Byzantine Mosaics. Athens: Ekdotike Athenon S.A.
  • Mouriki, D. (1985). The Mosaics of Nea Moni on Chios (Vol. 1—2). Athens: Commercial Bank of Greece.
  • Guardini, R. (1969). The image of Jesus the Christ in the New Testament. A commemorative book with a selection from his work (Pp. 225—322). Leipzig [in German].
  • Brenk, B., Kessler, Н., & Kronz, А. (2022). The Mosaics of Roger II in Sicily. Visualizing Sacred Authority. Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag.
Our authors
Ulana Movna. Senior Research Fellow, Ph.D. in History. read »
Oksana Kis. Senior scientific employee, candidate of... read »
Yaroslav Taras. Head of Department, Professor, Doctor... read »
Oksana Sapeliak. Senior Research Fellow, Ph.D. in... read »
Traditional folk clothes of velikobychkovsky hutsuly of XIX — the first half of XX century
In the study based upon numerous field materials, literature sources as well as ethnographic, historio-cultural and regional museum collections has been performed complex analysis in traditional folk clothes by Hutzul population of Velyky Bychkiv village in Transcarpathian region. Detailed descriptions of femi­nine and masculine clothing complexes of the mentioned area have been presented. In characterizing of those main attention has been paid to the detail of cut in separate components of dress; cut of feminine shirt has been added as an illustration.
Read »

Daily bread baking of ukrainians in the south-western ethnographical region at the late XIX to early XXI cc.
The paper has dealt with analytic study in prescriptions, signs, customs, methods, ways of selection, procurement and some peculiarities in usage of subsidiary means — water, firewood and leaves in bread baking. The final aim of the mentioned actions had been (and still is) selection of the means and ingredients fit, by their characteristics, for the backing of bread. The paper has demonstrated dependence of bread backing subsi­diary means criteria from the folk nutritional standards and world outlook stereotypes as well as from regional social and economic, natural and geographical factors and peculiarities of material culture.
Read »

Boikos’ pandemonium: categories of evil deceased
In the article have been presented some research-work on peculiarities of Boikos’ traditional demonological notions as for so-called evil deceased; on the basis of field records and ethnological literary sources quite a number of scum categories have been defined as well as essential habits, modes of behavior and functions of these personages of people’s demonology.
Read »

Maternity ritualism by volhynians in publications of the second half XIX to the early XXI cc.
In the article have been considered some basic landmarks for fixing and publication of ethnographic materials on the maternity rites of Volhynia with analytical study in ritual elements, their kinds and territories of origin. The article has also raised a problem of gaps in studies of maternity rites of Ukrainian historio-ethnographic Volhynia.
Read »