Books by Rostislava Todorova
Обект на изследването е начинът на изобразяване на библейския концепт за Божията слава в късновиз... more Обект на изследването е начинът на изобразяване на библейския концепт за Божията слава в късновизантийската иконографска традиция. Предмет на изследването е произходът и семантиката на новия тип мандорла, използвана като основен иконографски символ за визуализация на Божията теофания в късновизантийското изкуство от XIV в. нататък. Целта е да се очертае мястото и времето на възникване на усложнената форма на мандорлата, появила се паралелно с развитието на духовното движение на исихазма, както и да се изясни функционирането й като визуална екзегеза на теологическата концепция за нетварната светлина в късновизантийската иконография.
С помощта на case study относно хронологията и интервизуалността на иконографските програми на храма „Св. Апостоли“ в Солун и храма „Иисус Христос Спасител“ на манастира Хора се формулира хипотезата, че т. нар. „исихастки тип“ мандорла се е появил в Константинопол, а не в Солун или Мистра. Като допълнителен довод в полза на столичния произход на модела служат изводите от проведеното case study на иконографската програма на Гробница Е от външния нартекс на манастира Хора. Фреската „Св. Богородица Влахернитиса“ тук има акатистово значение и би следвало да бъде сюжетно определена като „Св. Богородица Достойно ест“. Композицията й показва вероятна връзка между възникналата ок. 1300 г. в Константинопол иконографска схема на цикъла на Богородичния Акатист и формирането на „исихасткия тип“ мандорла.
Линията на разпространение на новия модел може да бъде проследена от Константинопол, през Солун и Атон към цяла Византия, а от там към България, Сърбия, Румъния и Русия.
The main function of religious art is to embody the abstract idea of God in a form that allows it... more The main function of religious art is to embody the abstract idea of God in a form that allows its easiest perception. A central problem of any religious system is God’s presence and its adequate description. Theophanic events are never single-layered and this is a challenge for both the spiritual writer and the spiritual artist.
One of the most enduring trends in religious beliefs in all ages and cultures is the designation of the diversity of manifestations of the divine power, presence and action with unifying notions. Probably the most sustainable and universal in this respect is the concept of the “glory” of gods, through which their divinity is expressed most emphatically, most sensually, and at the same time most unattainably for mankind. This concept is expressed through the term “the glory of God”, which is used in the theological language of all organized religious systems to denote the manifestations of the sacred.
The radiance, which symbolizes the divine grace, power and superiority over all the senses is a common and invariable part of the outward expression of the supernatural character of the events connected with the manifestations and actions of God’s glory. Therefore, one of the key problems facing the visual language of any religion is to find a concise, clear, easily doable and easily understandable form in which to express the theophanic radiance. Thus, two of the most ancient sacred symbols in human history – the nimbus and the aureole (mandorla) were born.
In Christian art, the mandorla has been used to depict the manifestations of God’s presence and actions. The human consciousness perceives the verbal descriptions of theophanic events differently and is not able to create a general convention for their uniform understanding, so the iconographic canon uses certain symbols capable of presenting the necessary universal ideas. The mandorla is an oval, oval-pointed or round outline, which in certain iconographic subjects encompasses the figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Trinity and the Theotokos or in rare cases those of some saints. It serves as a visual epitome of the phenomenon of God’s glory.
Limes Slavicus, 2017
This research aims to identify the unique model of representation of St. St. Cyril and Methodius ... more This research aims to identify the unique model of representation of St. St. Cyril and Methodius Equal to the Apostles in the artistic work of Nikola Vasilev – the most famous iconographer from Shumen during the Bulgarian National Revival Period. The chronological evolution of his interpretation of the subject is revealed trough a comparative study of twelve icons made between 1869 and 1896 AD. Special attention is paid to the setting of the scene with Baptism of the Bulgarian Tsar by St. Methodius in the midst of the composition as a means of emphasizing the personal relationship between the Bulgarian royal court and the Holy Brothers’ deeds. It is also noted that Nikola Vasilev preferred to name the two saints “Bulgarian Enlighteners” instead of “Slavic Enlighteners”, and had never stopped adding more and more typical Bulgarian elements into the icons’ iconographic scheme. The text examines the probable connection between some historical events and social conditions in Bulgaria, and the gradual evolution of the Nikola Vasilev’s model. Altogether, these features demonstrate the artistic value of the work of the zographer from Shumen, his extremely high national and local patriotism, and his public commitment and sensitivity to one of the most important cultural concepts for the Bulgarian national self-consciousness at that time – the Bulgarian roots of the Christianization and Enlightenment of the whole Slavic world.
Papers by Rostislava Todorova
Сборник „Образование, география, културен туризъм“ в чест на 60-та годишнина на проф. д.н. Стела Дерменджиева, 2023
NEW DATA ON THE ICONOGRAPHIC HERITAGE OF SHUMEN AND ITS PLACE ON THE CULTURAL MAP OF BULGARIA
AB... more NEW DATA ON THE ICONOGRAPHIC HERITAGE OF SHUMEN AND ITS PLACE ON THE CULTURAL MAP OF BULGARIA
ABSTRACT: Present paper examines the growing need to reassess the significance of the movable cultural properties of local importance for the enrichment of the national cultural and historical heritage. For this purpose, a case study of the iconographic artistic heritage of Shumen was used as an important but underestimated part of the local and national cultural tradition. The study presents the most important achievements of the research on the Shumen painters’ artistic activities, conducted in the last decade and outlines their contribution to the enrichment of the cultural and historical heritage of Bulgaria.
KEYWORDS: Iconography, Painters, Bulgarian National Revival, Shumen, Cultural heritage
ГОДИШНИК на Софийския университет „Св. Климент Охридски“. Факултет по науки за образованието и изкуствата. КНИГА ИЗКУСТВА, 2022
Студията е фокусирана върху историята и украсата на храма „Св. вмчк Димитър“ във гр. Върбица, Шум... more Студията е фокусирана върху историята и украсата на храма „Св. вмчк Димитър“ във гр. Върбица, Шуменска област. Той е един от малкото внушителни по размери и благоукрасяване православни храмове, построени в средата на XIX в. Строителството му е разрешено от султан Махмуд II по застъпничеството на неговия секретар – върбичанина Васил Влаев (Турко Василаки). Върху иконите в храма са запазени подписите на тревненските майстори Кръстю Захариев (стари) и поп Димитър Кънчов, на ямболския майстор Александър Попгеоргиев, на шуменските зографи Никола Василев и Васил Христов Беделев, заедно с техния съдружник по онова време Анастас Кръкклисийски. Подписите на Василев и Беделев в този храм са от изключително значение за хронологията на тяхното творчество, разширявайки познатия до момента обхват на дейността на Беделев. Оцелелият в апсидата стенописен фрагмент доказва, че в някакъв период храмът е бил частично или цялостно изписан. Строен и украсяван без недостиг на средства, върбишкият храм „Св. Димитър“ притежава богата утвар и ценни книги, някои от които носят важна информация за историята на града. //
Present study is focused on the history and decoration of the St. Demetrius church in Varbitza, Shumen region. It is one of the few impressive in size and decoration Orthodox churches built in the mid-nineteenth century. Its construction was authorized by Sultan Mahmud II under the patronage of his secretary - Vasil Vlaev (Turko Vasilaki) from Varbitza. On the icons here are present the signatures of the Tryavna masters Krastyu Zahariev (the Elder) and priest Dimitar Kanchov, of the Yambol master Alexander Popgeorgiev, of the Shumen painters Nikola Vassilev and Vasil Hristov Bedelev, together with their partner at the time Anastas Karkklisiyski. The signatures of Vassilev and Bedelev found in this church are of exceptional significance for the chronology of their work, expanding the hitherto known scope of Bedelev’s activity. The surviving mural fragment in the apse proves that at some point the church was partially or completely decorated with wall paintings. Built and adorned without a lack of funds, the St. Demetrius church at Varbitza possess valuable liturgical objects and books, some of which carry important information about the history of the city.
Religions, 2023
The present study examines the use of the mandorla symbol in Byzantine and post-
Byzantine icono... more The present study examines the use of the mandorla symbol in Byzantine and post-
Byzantine iconography of the Dormition. The research aims to outline the reasons for the adoption of the mandorla in the iconographic scheme of the subject as a means of visualizing the heavenly Eden and the Glory of God’s presence. It traces the main stages in the development of the Dormition iconography and the creation of its principal models, highlighting the diversity of the patterns in the
post-Byzantine art in the Balkans.
De Medio Aevo, 2022
The present study is focused on clarifying the origin of the pictorial model of the subject "Theo... more The present study is focused on clarifying the origin of the pictorial model of the subject "Theotokos Blachernitissa" and its dogmatic and Eucharistic significance as a visual expression of the idea of the Holy Mother of God as a "living altar" of God. This subject enjoys a great variety of names and iconographic variations, hence sometimes questions arise about the correct identification of some models. A typical example in this regard is the fresco of the Mother of God, decorating the tomb of Irene Raoulaina Palaeologina in the outer narthex of the Chora Monastery (Tomb E). This paper aims to prove that the fresco, designated as "Theotokos Blachernitissa" actually has a hymnographic content and should be identified rather as "Theotokos Axion Estin (It is Truly Meet)".
De Medio Aevo, 2022
Based on the complex interrelations between word and image, the present paper aims to elucidate t... more Based on the complex interrelations between word and image, the present paper aims to elucidate the penetrating correlation of the theological thought of the time with the art of a specific epoch. The findings of this study emphasize on the Hesychasm and its influence over Byzantine iconography in the fourteenth century AD, especially in relation to the formation of a new, unusual form of mandorla, called "hesychastic type". In order to explain its rise and further development in Byzantine and Post Byzantine iconography, the paper discusses the earliest extant patterns of the "hesychastic type" of mandorla from the very beginning of the century and compares them with several subsequent examples. The focal point of the research is to find out which one is the earliest known pattern of the "hesychastic type" of mandorla and the place where this type of the symbol has emerged. The generally shared view claims that the new form has been produced firstly in Thessaloniki and can be seen in the partially survived Transfiguration mosaics in the Holy Apostles Church there. However, this study proceeds from the assumption that the prime model originates from Constantinople, caused by the theological and artistic milieu in the metropolis and probably found its place first in the wall paintings of the Chora Church. In support of this hypothesis, we are going to pay particular attention to the evidences about the relationships between the first and the second city in the Empire, the obvious intervisuality between the iconographic models in both churches and to some data about the erroneous dating of the wall decorations of the Holy Apostles Church in Thessaloniki.
EIKON IMAGO 7, Mar 10, 2015
Although a comparison between Orthodox icons and geographic maps sounds like an extravagant idea,... more Although a comparison between Orthodox icons and geographic maps sounds like an extravagant idea, if we set them in a broader context, we will see that they are actually akin. Both, the Orthodox εικών and the medieval mappamundi are symbolic images that represent cosmological concepts, showing the essence and character of the Universe in images. They enable people to overcome their natural limitations and see what is invisible to their eyes.
IKON 6, Jun 2013
The visual culture of Byzantium was profoundly religious in its character and was intended to ser... more The visual culture of Byzantium was profoundly religious in its character and was intended to serve as “theology in images” equal to theology in words. The gradual development of the Orthodox theology over the centuries has caused noticeable changes in the visual paradigm of Byzantine art. Therefore, all Byzantine visual models can be seen as visual interpretations or “translations” of the then contemporary theological thought, and it is possible to "read” them through the theological writings and religious mainstreams of the time. One of the best examples in this regard is the mandorla as a visual sign of the indescribable phenomenon of God’s Glory, mentioned in the Old and the New Testaments. Byzantine art had established two main types of mandorla representing the spatio-temporal and resplendent manifestations of the Glory of God. These visual
models have been reflecting every alteration of the theological milieu concerning the current concept of how God reveals Himself to humankind. More and more elaborated notions about the Vision of God resulted in more and more elaborated visual paradigms of the Glory of God and moulded various patterns in its iconographic expression - the mandorla.
EIKON IMAGO 6, 2014
Orthodox iconography is focused on the idea of representing the cosmos, the essence of God's crea... more Orthodox iconography is focused on the idea of representing the cosmos, the essence of God's creatio ex nihilo, thus serving as a visual cosmology and thence-as a cosmography of all being. Icons depict the image of the archetypal world in its integrity, unachievable for the limited human abilities, and are ontologically inseparable from this archetype. Therefore, iconography has been always related with the idea of representing the world trough symbolic images. In this context, it becomes a visual cosmology, and hence-a kind of cosmography of all being. Although not identical to cartography, Orthodox iconography creates symbolic images that can be interpreted as an image of the whole world – oikoumene. One particular example in this respect relates with the semantics and usage of mandorla symbol. In the Orthodox iconography, the mandorla has its function as a vision of Divine. It can be called even Imago Dei, expressing the invisible to the eyes and incomprehensible to the mind essence of God. However, in a number of iconographic scenes the image of God is related theologically and artistically with the cosmological perceptions of Christianity about the theocentricity of cosmos. Thus, mandorla as Imago Dei often plays the role of a symbolic Imago Mundi.
ACTA MUSEI TIBERIOPOLITANI, vol. 3, 2020
The present paper deals with the concept of sacred space as the dwelling place of God and an icon... more The present paper deals with the concept of sacred space as the dwelling place of God and an iconographic symbol for its visual representation. Since the idea about the otherworld as a realm of gods is common for almost all religions, there are only few symbols employed as visual denotations of the sacred space that have been used in the bigger part of the iconographic systems. The ancient radiant shapes around the figures of gods has turned into what is known today as an aureole, vesica piscis and mandorla, and has settled into the pictorial language of religions as the main visual expressions of the divine space where gods dwell.
STUDIA ACADEMICA ŠUMENENSIA 3, 2016
The present paper aims to discuss the conception of the sacred space in which God dwells and its ... more The present paper aims to discuss the conception of the sacred space in which God dwells and its visual representation in Christian iconography. It deals with the problem of the origins of the mandorla symbol that appears on the intersection of the metaphysical and the material space. The idea of the protective luminous cloud in which gods live and act among people is one of the most stable concepts in the ancient art. Enriched by the mystical meaning of the Pythagorean vesica piscis it forms the visual symbol of mandorla as a visual representation of the
divine space in which God dwells. On this ground, Christian art has developed two basic types of mandorla as a means for expression of the Glory of God in its splendour and spatial character. Here we are not going through the whole process of developing of the Christian mandorla and its variations according the theological alterations of the time. Pointing at a few extant patterns from the Balkan Peninsula and its neighbouring areas from the first centuries of Early Christian and Byzantine art, we are aiming to illustrate only the long-lasting ancient notion of representing the sacred space of gods, the dwelling place of the divine by the vesica piscis symbol and its successors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY – SHUMEN, 2020
The study aims to present an unpublished icon of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki, painted by priest... more The study aims to present an unpublished icon of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki, painted by priest Dimitar Kanchov from Tryavna in 1847, together with six other icons from the sovereign tier of the iconostasis of the St. Demetrius Church in Varbitsa, Shumen region. The icons "St. Nicholas”, “Virgin Hodegetria“, „Christ Pantoctator”,“St. John the Baptist”, “St. Theodore Tyron” and “St. Pantaleon” share similar stylistic features. These similarities lead to the conclusion that the six unsigned icons should be also attributed to the hand of priest Dimitar Kanchov, which defines them as one of the largest groups of works by this painter, whose artistic production is scattered throughout Bulgarian lands and has not yet been extensively studied.
ANNUAL of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Faculty of Educational Studies and the Arts, 2021
Present study is focused on clarifying the origin of the pictorial model of the Virgin Blachernit... more Present study is focused on clarifying the origin of the pictorial model of the Virgin Blachernitissa as well as on specifying the details in its onomastics. It considers the main theories about the nature and diversity of the iconographic scheme and clarifies the variety of its names. Emphasis is placed on the presence of the mandorla symbol in the subject, its meaning and variability. Thus, the present study seeks to prove that it is the mandorla that provides the dogmatic and Eucharistic significance of the subject, by visualizing the Glory of the Incarnation on the Blessed Virgin as a “living altar” of God.
Visual Studies (1472-586X), 2021
The work of the iconographer Nikola Vasilev from Shumen is an interesting research topic because ... more The work of the iconographer Nikola Vasilev from Shumen is an interesting research topic because of the unique artistic style, longevity and productivity of the artist, as well as because of the wide geographical area of his artistic activity. The investigation of one of his newly discovered icons revealed an additional and extremely curious detail, which complements his manner as an artist and reinforces the perceptions of his personality-his personal handwriting. Present paper aims to express and substantiate the assumption that Vasilev had a habit of inscribing the backs of the icons he painted, taking notes on them. It is assumed that an inscription on the back of an icon "St. Minas with selected saints" signed by Nikola Vasilev displays his personal handwriting.
Годишник на Софийския университет „Св. Климент Охридски“, Факултет по науки за образованието и изкуствата, Книга изкуства, 2020
The study is focused on elucidation of origins of the iconographical model of the Transfiguration... more The study is focused on elucidation of origins of the iconographical model of the Transfiguration of Christ around which in the second half of the twentieth century in Bulgaria has been built a legend about the pictorial representation of the Lord Jesus Christ in a spaceship. Emphasis is placed on the Transfiguration fresco from the Church of St. St. Theodore Tiron and Theodore Stratilat at Dobarsko, together with several other patterns of iconographic programs of Bulgarian churches from the sixteenth to the seventeenth century. It is the mural in the Dobarsko church that is the root of the ‘cosmic interpretation’ of the specific red geometricized post-Byzantine models of mandorla, which are very common in the Transfiguration iconography on the Balkans. Similar mandorlas are used in other iconographic schemes too, however the one from Dobarsko is the ‘prototype’ of the idea that Christ is represented inside a ‘space rocket’. Therefore, by proving the Athonite origins of this Transfiguration iconographic model, the present study aims to contribute to the dismantling of the imposed amateurish, and even offensive to the believers, way of interpreting the miracle of Christ's Transfiguration on Mount Tabor.
Collection of Scientific Works IX, NIS AND BYZANTIUM, “Towards the celebration of the Edict of Milan anniversary”, 2011
Симболичка разноврсност, уграђена у верску доктрину и истанчан филозофскисистем хришћанства, је о... more Симболичка разноврсност, уграђена у верску доктрину и истанчан филозофскисистем хришћанства, је огромна. Значење неких од хришћанских симбола као што сусв. Крст и крстни знак например, јасно је дефинисано и никада се није мењало токомдвадесетједновековне црковне традиције. Међутим, постоје и хришћански симболикоји из низа разлога остају у „задњем плану“ и немају исту јасноћу, зато што за њих недостаје недвосмислено тумачење њиховог значења. Сличне потешкоће нарочито инхерентне код симбола, који имају своје порекло у предхришћанском језичком веровању,филозофским системима и култури. Један од тих симбола, који је нашао своју употребуу православној иконографији као израз „славе Божије“ – карактеристичан Божји израз,како у старозаветним тако и у новозаветним временима, Бог у намери да разоткријесуштину пред људима, је тако названу „мандорла” – овалне форме, овално заоштренеили округле форме, која је у одређеним иконографским тематским текстовима описанаоко фигуре Господа Исуса Христа, св. Тројства, свете Богородице и у веома реткимслучајевима око фигура неких светаца.Израстање хришћанства у срж јудеизма, као и постепена промена статуса одзабране до званичне државне религије током IV в. сл. Р. Хр., налажу и промену у сис-IV в. сл. Р. Хр., налажу и промену у систему визуелних знакова које користи. Коришћење мандорле у ранохришћанској уметности се без преувеличавања може назвати преседаном, који је у директној вези сапроменом у религијском поимању света и одговарајућим преосмишљавањем коцептуалне средине током првих векова сл. Р. Хр. Нова уметничка тенденција испуњује се новим садржајем и преузима у употребу антички знак за представљање јединства измеђудуховног и материјалног - “vesica piscis”, тако што је трансформише у хришћанскумандорлу.У раду се истражује формирање два основна типа хришћанске мандорле (кружне и овалне) и њихова употреба у византијском и поствизантијском традиционалномприказу. Пажња је усмерена не само на тражење језичких корена овог визуелног знака,већ и на његово контекстуално значење.Да би се пронашло правилно тумачење овог јерархијско семантичког централногелемента у хришћанској иконографији, поставља се питање да ли је мандорла ликовнизнак светлонсног или просторног феномена, уско повезан са изражавањем суштине„славе Божије“. Акценат се ставља на развој и промењивост семантичке тежине дватипа мандорле кроз векове, започињући од првих сачуваних образаца из IV-V в. сл. Р.Хр. у Санта Марија Мађоре у Риму, до настанка „исихастке мандорле” током XIV в.у Византији и њеним поствизантијским варијантама у пре појединачно пронађенимправославним иконографским традицијама.Упркос њеном настојећем и приоритетном прихватању као вида нимба, или као јерархијског самосталног визуелног израза превасходно Божанских енергија (деловања), проучавање проблема доводи до закључка (извода), да мандорла у православној иконографији задржава, до великог степена своје древно значење једино могучегметода паралелног представљања сакралних догађаја, који прожимају једновремено иматеријални и духовни свет.
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Books by Rostislava Todorova
С помощта на case study относно хронологията и интервизуалността на иконографските програми на храма „Св. Апостоли“ в Солун и храма „Иисус Христос Спасител“ на манастира Хора се формулира хипотезата, че т. нар. „исихастки тип“ мандорла се е появил в Константинопол, а не в Солун или Мистра. Като допълнителен довод в полза на столичния произход на модела служат изводите от проведеното case study на иконографската програма на Гробница Е от външния нартекс на манастира Хора. Фреската „Св. Богородица Влахернитиса“ тук има акатистово значение и би следвало да бъде сюжетно определена като „Св. Богородица Достойно ест“. Композицията й показва вероятна връзка между възникналата ок. 1300 г. в Константинопол иконографска схема на цикъла на Богородичния Акатист и формирането на „исихасткия тип“ мандорла.
Линията на разпространение на новия модел може да бъде проследена от Константинопол, през Солун и Атон към цяла Византия, а от там към България, Сърбия, Румъния и Русия.
One of the most enduring trends in religious beliefs in all ages and cultures is the designation of the diversity of manifestations of the divine power, presence and action with unifying notions. Probably the most sustainable and universal in this respect is the concept of the “glory” of gods, through which their divinity is expressed most emphatically, most sensually, and at the same time most unattainably for mankind. This concept is expressed through the term “the glory of God”, which is used in the theological language of all organized religious systems to denote the manifestations of the sacred.
The radiance, which symbolizes the divine grace, power and superiority over all the senses is a common and invariable part of the outward expression of the supernatural character of the events connected with the manifestations and actions of God’s glory. Therefore, one of the key problems facing the visual language of any religion is to find a concise, clear, easily doable and easily understandable form in which to express the theophanic radiance. Thus, two of the most ancient sacred symbols in human history – the nimbus and the aureole (mandorla) were born.
In Christian art, the mandorla has been used to depict the manifestations of God’s presence and actions. The human consciousness perceives the verbal descriptions of theophanic events differently and is not able to create a general convention for their uniform understanding, so the iconographic canon uses certain symbols capable of presenting the necessary universal ideas. The mandorla is an oval, oval-pointed or round outline, which in certain iconographic subjects encompasses the figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Trinity and the Theotokos or in rare cases those of some saints. It serves as a visual epitome of the phenomenon of God’s glory.
Papers by Rostislava Todorova
ABSTRACT: Present paper examines the growing need to reassess the significance of the movable cultural properties of local importance for the enrichment of the national cultural and historical heritage. For this purpose, a case study of the iconographic artistic heritage of Shumen was used as an important but underestimated part of the local and national cultural tradition. The study presents the most important achievements of the research on the Shumen painters’ artistic activities, conducted in the last decade and outlines their contribution to the enrichment of the cultural and historical heritage of Bulgaria.
KEYWORDS: Iconography, Painters, Bulgarian National Revival, Shumen, Cultural heritage
Present study is focused on the history and decoration of the St. Demetrius church in Varbitza, Shumen region. It is one of the few impressive in size and decoration Orthodox churches built in the mid-nineteenth century. Its construction was authorized by Sultan Mahmud II under the patronage of his secretary - Vasil Vlaev (Turko Vasilaki) from Varbitza. On the icons here are present the signatures of the Tryavna masters Krastyu Zahariev (the Elder) and priest Dimitar Kanchov, of the Yambol master Alexander Popgeorgiev, of the Shumen painters Nikola Vassilev and Vasil Hristov Bedelev, together with their partner at the time Anastas Karkklisiyski. The signatures of Vassilev and Bedelev found in this church are of exceptional significance for the chronology of their work, expanding the hitherto known scope of Bedelev’s activity. The surviving mural fragment in the apse proves that at some point the church was partially or completely decorated with wall paintings. Built and adorned without a lack of funds, the St. Demetrius church at Varbitza possess valuable liturgical objects and books, some of which carry important information about the history of the city.
Byzantine iconography of the Dormition. The research aims to outline the reasons for the adoption of the mandorla in the iconographic scheme of the subject as a means of visualizing the heavenly Eden and the Glory of God’s presence. It traces the main stages in the development of the Dormition iconography and the creation of its principal models, highlighting the diversity of the patterns in the
post-Byzantine art in the Balkans.
models have been reflecting every alteration of the theological milieu concerning the current concept of how God reveals Himself to humankind. More and more elaborated notions about the Vision of God resulted in more and more elaborated visual paradigms of the Glory of God and moulded various patterns in its iconographic expression - the mandorla.
divine space in which God dwells. On this ground, Christian art has developed two basic types of mandorla as a means for expression of the Glory of God in its splendour and spatial character. Here we are not going through the whole process of developing of the Christian mandorla and its variations according the theological alterations of the time. Pointing at a few extant patterns from the Balkan Peninsula and its neighbouring areas from the first centuries of Early Christian and Byzantine art, we are aiming to illustrate only the long-lasting ancient notion of representing the sacred space of gods, the dwelling place of the divine by the vesica piscis symbol and its successors.
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С помощта на case study относно хронологията и интервизуалността на иконографските програми на храма „Св. Апостоли“ в Солун и храма „Иисус Христос Спасител“ на манастира Хора се формулира хипотезата, че т. нар. „исихастки тип“ мандорла се е появил в Константинопол, а не в Солун или Мистра. Като допълнителен довод в полза на столичния произход на модела служат изводите от проведеното case study на иконографската програма на Гробница Е от външния нартекс на манастира Хора. Фреската „Св. Богородица Влахернитиса“ тук има акатистово значение и би следвало да бъде сюжетно определена като „Св. Богородица Достойно ест“. Композицията й показва вероятна връзка между възникналата ок. 1300 г. в Константинопол иконографска схема на цикъла на Богородичния Акатист и формирането на „исихасткия тип“ мандорла.
Линията на разпространение на новия модел може да бъде проследена от Константинопол, през Солун и Атон към цяла Византия, а от там към България, Сърбия, Румъния и Русия.
One of the most enduring trends in religious beliefs in all ages and cultures is the designation of the diversity of manifestations of the divine power, presence and action with unifying notions. Probably the most sustainable and universal in this respect is the concept of the “glory” of gods, through which their divinity is expressed most emphatically, most sensually, and at the same time most unattainably for mankind. This concept is expressed through the term “the glory of God”, which is used in the theological language of all organized religious systems to denote the manifestations of the sacred.
The radiance, which symbolizes the divine grace, power and superiority over all the senses is a common and invariable part of the outward expression of the supernatural character of the events connected with the manifestations and actions of God’s glory. Therefore, one of the key problems facing the visual language of any religion is to find a concise, clear, easily doable and easily understandable form in which to express the theophanic radiance. Thus, two of the most ancient sacred symbols in human history – the nimbus and the aureole (mandorla) were born.
In Christian art, the mandorla has been used to depict the manifestations of God’s presence and actions. The human consciousness perceives the verbal descriptions of theophanic events differently and is not able to create a general convention for their uniform understanding, so the iconographic canon uses certain symbols capable of presenting the necessary universal ideas. The mandorla is an oval, oval-pointed or round outline, which in certain iconographic subjects encompasses the figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Trinity and the Theotokos or in rare cases those of some saints. It serves as a visual epitome of the phenomenon of God’s glory.
ABSTRACT: Present paper examines the growing need to reassess the significance of the movable cultural properties of local importance for the enrichment of the national cultural and historical heritage. For this purpose, a case study of the iconographic artistic heritage of Shumen was used as an important but underestimated part of the local and national cultural tradition. The study presents the most important achievements of the research on the Shumen painters’ artistic activities, conducted in the last decade and outlines their contribution to the enrichment of the cultural and historical heritage of Bulgaria.
KEYWORDS: Iconography, Painters, Bulgarian National Revival, Shumen, Cultural heritage
Present study is focused on the history and decoration of the St. Demetrius church in Varbitza, Shumen region. It is one of the few impressive in size and decoration Orthodox churches built in the mid-nineteenth century. Its construction was authorized by Sultan Mahmud II under the patronage of his secretary - Vasil Vlaev (Turko Vasilaki) from Varbitza. On the icons here are present the signatures of the Tryavna masters Krastyu Zahariev (the Elder) and priest Dimitar Kanchov, of the Yambol master Alexander Popgeorgiev, of the Shumen painters Nikola Vassilev and Vasil Hristov Bedelev, together with their partner at the time Anastas Karkklisiyski. The signatures of Vassilev and Bedelev found in this church are of exceptional significance for the chronology of their work, expanding the hitherto known scope of Bedelev’s activity. The surviving mural fragment in the apse proves that at some point the church was partially or completely decorated with wall paintings. Built and adorned without a lack of funds, the St. Demetrius church at Varbitza possess valuable liturgical objects and books, some of which carry important information about the history of the city.
Byzantine iconography of the Dormition. The research aims to outline the reasons for the adoption of the mandorla in the iconographic scheme of the subject as a means of visualizing the heavenly Eden and the Glory of God’s presence. It traces the main stages in the development of the Dormition iconography and the creation of its principal models, highlighting the diversity of the patterns in the
post-Byzantine art in the Balkans.
models have been reflecting every alteration of the theological milieu concerning the current concept of how God reveals Himself to humankind. More and more elaborated notions about the Vision of God resulted in more and more elaborated visual paradigms of the Glory of God and moulded various patterns in its iconographic expression - the mandorla.
divine space in which God dwells. On this ground, Christian art has developed two basic types of mandorla as a means for expression of the Glory of God in its splendour and spatial character. Here we are not going through the whole process of developing of the Christian mandorla and its variations according the theological alterations of the time. Pointing at a few extant patterns from the Balkan Peninsula and its neighbouring areas from the first centuries of Early Christian and Byzantine art, we are aiming to illustrate only the long-lasting ancient notion of representing the sacred space of gods, the dwelling place of the divine by the vesica piscis symbol and its successors.
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will be paid on transition of the symbol in the Early Christianity and its further development as a 'Christian mandorla'. In the Christian iconography mandorla has two
main shapes - oval and round, with notable diversity of meanings. Therefore, the accent will be putted on the elucidation of different sense of each form and on the
variety in the artistic usage of them in the Eastern and Western Christian Art. The main emphasis will be laid on the evolution of the philosophical and religious meaning
of the symbol of "vesica piscis" during the centuries.
Originally presented as a fantastic 9th century landscape the image of Preslav in the Bulgarian iconography gradually changes to an image of a modern 19th century town. The main contribution to this process is the work of Nikola Vasilev from Shumen who painted the old capital ten times between 1869 and 1896. In 1885, he represented it for the first time as a realistic 19th century urban landscape combined with historical elements that remind of the glorious past of Preslav ten centuries ago. We have to say that in 1885 Vasilev included the landscape of Preslav in two of his icons - one of SS. Cyril and Methodius and another one of SS. Apostles Peter and Paul – something that cannot be seen in the works of any other Bulgarian iconographer. However, his innovation did not end there, because in each of his subsequent icons of the Holy Brothers he elaborated his ideas about Preslav and interpreted its image according to the current historical circumstances. Thus, his last icon created in 1896 represents a realistic interpretation of a modern city with European outlook without ignoring of the elements of its historical background. It convinces the viewer that there is no difference between the grandeur of the old town from the 9th century and from the 19th century AD.
Key words: Nikola Vassilev, Shumen, St. Cyril and Methodius, St. Peter and Paul, Veliki Preslav, Bulgarian iconography, Conversion to Orthodoxy, Enlightenment of the Slavs.