Gareja, Udabno Monastery, Murals of the Church of the Virgin
| Building: | Gareja, Udabno Monastery, Church of the Virgin |
| Layer of the Murals: | One Layer |
| Date/Period: | First half of the 11th century |
| Donor(s): | Unknown |
| Painter(s): | Unknown |
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Inscription(s)
of the Donor(s)
of the Painter(s)
Description
The church suffered substantial damage over time – its southern half totally collapsed; the murals that once adorned the whole interior have only partly survived. These are: scenes of the Twelve Great Feasts and three episodes of the life of St. Davit’ Garejeli horizontally arranged on the upper half of the north wall of the hall and upon the slope of the vault, also the row of donors at a whole length of the western part of the lower registre of the north wall. In addition, a multi-part composition of the Last Judgment depicted on the west wall.
The interior of the church was cleaned by removing the debris and earth in the late 1970s.
Chancel
Painting of the chancel was composed of two registres. The composition of the Virgin in Glory was depicted in the conch. It represented enthroned Mother of God with Child, exalted by angels. Part of the images had been preserved by the mid 20th century. Part of the row of apostles had also survived in the lower registre of the chancel. Fragments of the chancel frescos could be observed under large stones of the collapsed conch and the apse walls (Dimitri Gordeev had seen an explanatory inscription of St. Paul: ႮႠႥႪႤ – Paul).
Aisle
A row of the scenes of the Twelve Great Feasts, as well as episodes of the life cycle of St. Davit’ Garejeli were depicted on the wall-vault of the hall. Because of the collapse of the southern half of the church, only part of the scenes represented on the northern slope of the vault and the upper part of the north wall are preserved. In the upper registre, west to east: the Raising of Lazarus, Entry into Jerusalem, the Crucifixion, the Descent from the Cross, the Entombment of Christ, the Descent into Hell; in the lower registre: three scenes from the cycle of the Life of St. David of Gareja, the Ascension, the Pentecost, the Dormition. Presently, only a small part of the scenes has survived, specifically, fragment of the composition of the Raising of Lazarus in the upper registre, St. Lukiane Milking the Deer (Ⴜ(ႳႤ)Ⴊ(Ⴈ)Ⴑ || ႨႰ(Ⴄ)Ⴋ[Ⴑ] |||| ႪႳႩႨ || ႠႬႤ – Lukiane is milking the deer), the Deer before St. David and St. Lukiane (Ⴕ: ႠႵႠ Ⴋ(Ⴓ)Ⴅ(Ⴈ)ႣႤႱ ႨႰ(Ⴄ)ႫႬႨ ႪႲ(Ⴓ)|ႪႥ(Ⴈ)ႪႬႨ Ⴅ(Ⴄ)ႸႠႮ(Ⴈ)ႱႠႢ(Ⴀ)Ⴌ | ႣႠ ႳႹ(Ⴈ)Ⴅ(Ⴈ)Ⴑ ႪႳႩ(Ⴈ)ႠႬႤ Ⴃ(ႠႥႨ)ႧႱ Ⴐ(ႠႫႤႧႳ) | ႸႤჀ||ႽႠႫႠ ႬႳႩႰႨ | ႤႰႧႨ :. – Here came the deer who had fled the dragon and Lukiane complained to David that one fawn had been eaten), Burning of the Dragon (ႠႵႠ Ⴘ(Ⴄ)ჀႰႨႱႾႬႠ Ⴃ(ႠႥႨ)Ⴇ Ⴅ(Ⴄ)Ⴘ(Ⴀ)ႮႱႠ | ႣႠ ႣႠႨႼ(Ⴓ)Ⴀ Ⴀ(Ⴌ)Ⴂ(Ⴄ)Ⴆ(ႳႦ)ႨႱ | ႫႤႰ – David invoked wrath on the dragon which got burnt by the angel) on the western half of the second registre, also the Pentecost and the Ascension on the eastern half.
The whole area of the west wall was occupied by a multi-part composition of the Last Judgment – only single images have survived, specifically, figures of enthroned apostles in the upper section of the composition, and episodes of the tortures of hell – in the right section of the scene.
A donor composition is depicted in the lower registre on the west half of the north wall of the hall. It is distributed over a vast area between the arched aperture leading from the hall of the church into the diaconicon and the north corner of the west wall.
The multi-figure donor row is divided into two groups. The first group comprises three figures, the second – four ones. These two groups had been separated from each other by a vertical red line.
All the images in the first group are depicted with crowns and nimbs. All are facing the east, the chancel, with their hands raised in supplication. No explanatory inscription has survived with the images. Clothing and insignia of all three crowned heads point to their belonging to the highest state authority. Furthermore, their clothing is different: the first is wearing a tunic, the second – a long robe, and the third – an armor. Fragments of small right-angled framing can be observed right of the group (on the east), near the arch of the door leading into the diaconicon. Apparently, in accordance with the traditional scheme of the donor row, here was an image of the Savior, the Virgin or a guardian saint.
The first depiction in the second group is St. Davit’ Garejeli (with an inscription – Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)Ⴢ Ⴃ(ႠႥႨ)Ⴇ – Saint David). He is turned left (west), towards the rest of the figures of the second group, in blessing. Accordingly, the following two figures were again depicted facing St. Davit’, eastwards. It is a figure of a monk; the inscription laid out left of the monk’s cowl had already been substantially damaged by the 1960s: [†] ႤႱႤ Ⴀ(ႶႠ)Ⴑ(ႰႳႪႤ)ႡႱ ႡႤႰႨ ႪჁ[- -] Ⴜ(ႫႨႣႠ)ႱႠ Ⴑ(Ⴀ)Ⴗ|[Ⴃ(Ⴀ)ႰႱႠ] Ⴑ~Ⴂ – [†] ესე ა(ღა)ს(რულე)ბს ბერი ლჱ[- -] წ(მიდა)სა ს(ა)ყ[დ(ა)რსა] [- – -] ს~გ. Between St. Davit’ and the clergymen standing before him, near the upper edge of the composition there is God’s right hand holding a monk’s cowl depicted coming out of the sky hemisphere.
The third of this group is a figure of a nobleman. Remarkably, he is the only one in the donor row portrayed without a halo. The nobleman is holding a single-nave church covered with a gable roof.
The fourth figure – a religious person with a halo – is depicted frontally.
A frontal figure of a stylite is represented on the area between the apertures leading from the church into the diaconicon.
Dating
There are different opinions concerning the conjectural period of executing the frescos of the church.
Giorgi Chubinashvili considered the period around the 11th century as the conjectural date of painting the church [Georgij Chubinashvili, Peshchernye monastyri David-Garedzhi, [Cave Monasteries of David Garedji] (Tbilisi, 1948), 80]. Shalva Amiranashvili attributed the frescos of the main church and the refectory to the 10th century [Shalva Amiranashvili, Istorija gruzinskoj srednevekovoj monumental’noj zhivopisi [History of Medieval Georgian Monumental Painting] I (Tbilisi, 1957), 50-2]. Guram Abramishvili supposed that the murals were executed in 983. This dating is based on his own reconstruction-interpretation of the above-cited fragmentary donor inscription. Consequently, according to Abramishvili, the fresco must portray a representative of the highest state authorities of Kakheti Principality; therefore, the first in this row should be the first K’orepiskopos David (976-1010). The second figure is also named as one of the representatives of Kakhetian royal house; however, the third figure, given his clothing, according to Abramishvili, must have been linked to military affairs [Guram Abramishvili, Cycle of David of Gareja in Georgian Wall Painting (Tbilisi, 1972), 74-7]. Tinatin Virsaladze believed that the frescos were created in the early 11th century [Tinatin Virsaladze, “K voprosu o datirovke pervonachal’noj rospisi severnogo pridela glavnogo khrama monastyrja Udabno” [“Concerning the Dating of the Initial Murals in the Northern Annex of the Main Church in Udabno Monastery”], Sak’art’velos metsnierebat’a akademiis sazogadoebriv metsnierebat’a ganq’op’ilebis moambe [Bulletin of the Section of the Social Sciences of the Georgian Academy of Sciences] 6 (1968): 223-39]. This opinion was shared by Aneli Volkskaja too [Aneli Vol’skaja, Rospisi srednevekovykh trapeznykh Gruzii [Murals of Medieval Georgian Refectories] (Tbilisi, 1974), 87-97; Aneli Vol’skaja, “Rospisi peshchernjkh monastyrej David Garedzhi” [“Murals of the David Gareji Cave Monasteries”], in Konstantine P’itskhelauri ed., Gareji [Kakhet’is ark’qeologiuri ek’speditsiis shromebi: VIII [Gareji. Kakheti Archeological Expedition Studies: VIII] (Tbilisi, 1988), 139-40].
Comparison of the murals of the church to the 10th-11th-century monuments of the wall painting of various parts of the country, as well as certain regions of Christian East shows that the first half of the 11th century or the mid-11th century seems to be the most acceptable chronological spell for the execution of their execution [Antony Eastmond, Royal Imagery in Medieval Georgia (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1998), 124ff.; Antony Eastmond, “The Cult of St. Davit Garejeli: Patronage and Iconographic Change in the Gareji Desert“, in Zaza Shirtladze ed., Desert Monasticism. Gareja and the Christian East [Proceedings of the Gareja Studies Centre: II] (Tbilisi, 2001), 220ff; Antony Eastmond, Zaza Skhirtladze, “Udabno Monastery in Georgia: Innovation, Conservation and the Reinterpretation of Medieval Art”, Iconographica VII (2008), 27-8]. Consequently, the persons depicted in the fresco must be sought among the secular sovereigns of Kakheti in the mentioned epoch. It is presumed that the fresco exposes representatives of three generations of the ruling family of Kakheti Kingdom [Gajane Alibegashvili, Svetskij portret v gruzinskoj srednevekovoj monumental’noj zhivopisi [Secular Portrait in the Medieval Georgian Monumental Painting] (Tbilisi, 1979), 42].
The second group of the donors seem to have been connected to Udabno monastery and the building activities that took place there in the first half of the 11th century. It is highly probable that the first donor – the priest standing before St. Davit Garejeli – was the father superior of the monastery by that time. It must have been by his blessing and participation that the main church of the monastery was adorned with murals. The following nobleman must have been the local ruler; apparently, renovation and painting of the main church of Udabno monastery occurred by his personal donation and supervision. A saint linked to desert monasticism and the monastic life in the Gareja desert must have been depicted at the end of this row. It is not excluded that it might be a worthy monk, follower of one of the Assyrian Fathers, or St. Davit’ himself, who lived in Udabno and was distinguished by his dedication.
Bibliography
Dmitrij Gordeev, “Monastyri Garedzhi (1919)” [“Gareja Monasteries (1919)”] – in Zaza Skhirtladze, “Garejis mravalmt’is samonastro gaert’ianebis mokhatulobat’a sametsniero kvlevis istoriidan” [“Excerpts on the History of Scientific Research on Gareja Murals”], Gelat’is metsnierebat’a akademiis shromebi [Proceedings of Gelati Academy of Sciences] V (2019): 393–5.
Georgij Chubinashvili, Peshchernye monastyri David-Garedzhi, [Cave Monasteries of David Garedji] (Tbilisi, 1948), 79–80.
Shalva Amiranashvili, Istorija gruzinskoj srednevekovoj monumental’noj zhivopisi [History of Medieval Georgian Monumental Painting] I (Tbilisi, 1957), 48–50.
Guram Abramishvili, “Davit’ garejis ‘udabnos’ mt’avari eklesiis sak’titoro ts’arts’era” [“Donor Inscription of the Main Curch of Udabno Monastery in Davit’ Gareji Desert”:], Sak’art’velos metsnierebat’a akademiis sazogadoebriv metsnierebat’a ganq’op’ilebis moambe [Bulletin of the Section of the Social Sciences of the Georgian Academy of Sciences] 3 (1962): 295–303.
Guram Abramishvili, “Atenis sionis reliefi” [“Relief of Ateni Sioni”], Sabch’ot’a khelovneba [Soviet Art] 9 (1965): 66–71.
Tinatin Virsaladze, “K voprosu o datirovke pervonachal’noj rospisi severnogo pridela glavnogo khrama monastyrja Udabno” [“Concerning the Dating of the Initial Murals in the Northern Annex of the Main Church in Udabno Monastery”], Sak’art’velos metsnierebat’a akademiis sazogadoebriv metsnierebat’a ganq’op’ilebis moambe [Bulletin of the Section of the Social Sciences of the Georgian Academy of Sciences] 6 (1968): 223–39.
Guram Abramishvili, Davi’t garejelis tsikli k’art’ul kedlis mkhatvrobashi [The Cycle of Davit Garejeli in Georgian Wall Paintings] (Tbilisi, 1972), 63–90.
Aneli Vol’skaja, Rospisi srednevekovykh trapeznykh Gruzii [Murals of Medieval Georgian Refectories] (Tbilisi, 1974), 76–9, 87–97.
Gajane Alibegashvili, Svetskij portret v gruzinskoj srednevekovoj monumental’noj zhivopisi [Secular Portrait in the Medieval Georgian Monumental Painting] (Tbilisi, 1979), 41–2, 44, sch. 6.
Aneli Vol’skaja, “Rospisi peshchernjkh monastyrej David Garedzhi” [“Murals of the David Gareji Cave Monasteries”], in Konstantine P’itskhelauri ed., Gareji [Kakhet’is ark’qeologiuri ek’speditsiis shromebi: VIII [Gareji. Kakheti Archeological Expedition Studies: VIII] (Tbilisi, 1988), 139–40.
Antony Eastmond, Royal Imagery in Medieval Georgia (University Park, PA., 1998), 56-8, Fig. 35-7.
Antony Eastmond, “The Cult of St. Davit Garejeli: Patronage and Iconographic Change in the Gareji Desert“, in Zaza Shirtladze ed., Desert Monasticism. Gareja and the Christian East [Proceedings of the Gareja Studies Centre: II] (Tbilisi, 2001), 220–39.
Zaza Skhirtladze, Antony Eastmond, “Ts’. davit’ garejeli tskhovrebis tsikli udabnos monastris mt’avari eklesiis sadiakvnes mokhatulobashi: akhali monatsemebi da dakvirvebebi” [“The Life Cycle of St. David Garejeli in the Murals of the Diaconicon of the Udabno Monastery Main Church. New Data and Observations”], Sak’art’velos sidzveleni [Georgian Antiquities] 2 (2002): 28–49.
Antony Eastmond, Zaza Skhirtladze, “Udabno Monastery in Georgia: Innovation, Conservation and the Reinterpretation of Medieval Art”, Iconographica VII (2008): 23–43.
Aneli Volkaia, Dimitri Tumanishvili, Marine Bulia, Davitgareji Monasteries: Laura, Udabno (Tbilisi, 2008), 68–79.