engleski

The Theotokos in Poreč. Public, Official and Private in the Sixth Century Devotion to Mary

Mosaics in the central apse of the Euphrasius’ Basilica in Porec, built in the 6th century, represent an inexhaustible source for the research of several iconographic themes in the visual arts in time of Justinian. Given the fact that a large part of the corpus of Byzantine art was not preserved, especially the one in its center, Constantinople, Poreč mosaics are key to understanding the role of visual arts in religious space. Special place within this iconographic core represents the image of Mary with Christ, that stands out as a central theme in the conch of the apse of the church in Poreč. Mary is portrayed as Theotokos, flanked by angels and accompanied by saints and donors. The size and location of her figure suggests that it is a central message: the incarnation. The problem of the interpretation of Mary’s role and devotion in the monumental decorative programs of the 6th century art is still in the focus of the research of the cult of Mary, devotion and iconography. Mary in the early centuries of Christian art was not given great significance as an independent phenomenon, which is an interesting fact when you compare it with high significance of her character in the devotion and art of the Byzantine sphere after the 6th century. The absence of a rich artistic corpus in the early Christian period, which would determined her roles in visual arts, however, is not in accordance with the written historical sources and literature of the late 4th century onwards, in which Mary occupies an important place, but still in the context of Christological dogma, after the Council of Ephesus. The article discusses new approach at the interpretation of the Mary’s image in relationship between public and private or official in the early devotion of Mary. It suggests new readings of the messages in the mosaic bringing the central image in relation to other scenes of the program and, especially to the new apprehensions of the theology, accentuating the necessity of connecting closer word and image in the early period of Byzantine art.

Byzantium; Istria; Theotokos; iconography; cult; mosiac

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