<\/div>\n
\n
Inscription(s)<\/h4>\nof the Donor(s)<\/h6>\n
[-]<\/strong>\u10a0<\/strong>[<\/strong>\u10a7<\/strong>]<\/strong>\u10a4\u10aa\u10ad<\/strong> : <\/strong>\u10b1\u10ad\u10b4<\/strong> |<\/strong>\u10aa\u10a8<\/strong>|<\/strong>\u10b1<\/strong>(<\/strong>\u10a0<\/strong>)<\/strong>\u10ad<\/strong> [-] | <\/strong>\u10ad<\/strong>[-]<\/strong>\u10a0<\/strong> | [-] | <\/strong>\u10ad<\/strong> [-] | <\/strong>\u10a8\u10b1<\/strong> [-] | <\/strong>\u10b1\u10a0<\/strong> \u2013<\/strong> The light of the world [. . .]<\/strong>. The inscription is outlined next to the figure of a donor depicted at the northern edge of the west wall (Zaza Skhirtladze, \u201cMasalebi garejis mravalmt\u2019is adreul mokhatulobat\u2019a shests\u2019avlisat\u2019vis. Mravalts\u2019q\u2019aros eklesia\u201d [Materials for the Study of the Early Paintings in the Gareja Desert. Church of Mravalcq\u2019aro], in Rismag Gordeziani ed., The Twenty Centuries of Christianity in Georgia <\/em>(Tbilisi, 2004), 264, \u10e1\u10e3\u10e0. 5).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
of the Painter(s)<\/h6>\n
\u10a0\u10bc<\/strong> [-] | [-] | <\/strong>\u10ab\u10b6\u10a3<\/strong> |<\/strong>\u10a4\u10aa\u10ac\u10ad<\/strong> | <\/strong>\u10b1<\/strong>[-] | <\/strong>\u10ac<\/strong>[-]<\/strong>\u10b1\u10a4<\/strong> \u10ba\u10ad<\/strong>|\u10a3\u10a5\u10a8\u10aa[\u10a8] \u10ab\u10ad\u10c2[\u10c4]\u10b1\u10a4|<\/strong>\u10ac\u10a4\u10a7 <\/strong>\u2013<\/strong> [-] [-] priests [-] n [-] sinful commemorate \u2013 <\/strong>the inscription is depicted on the lower section of the northern half of the chancel (Zaza Skhirtladze, \u201cMasalebi garejis mravalmt\u2019is adreul mokhatulobat\u2019a shests\u2019avlisat\u2019vis. Mravalts\u2019q\u2019aros eklesia\u201d [Materials for the Study of the Early Paintings in the Gareja Desert. Church of Mravalcq\u2019aro], in Rismag Gordeziani ed., The Twenty Centuries of Christianity in Georgia <\/em>(Tbilisi, 2004), 260, ill. 4).<\/p>\n\n
\nDescription<\/h4>\n
The pictorial d\u00e9cor of the church is composed of the images established in the local monastic artistic setting in an early stage of the school of painting of Gareja monastic complex. Furthermore, it is notable that in accordance with the time, the church was partly painted \u2013 frescos embellish only the chancel and north and west bays of its hall.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chancel<\/h6>\n
Christ in Majesty<\/em> was depicted in the chancel of the church: enthroned Savior flanked by angels (archangels). Due to minor dimensions of the chancel apse, presence of the lower registre and its images (the Virgin and the row of saint apostles) is actually excluded. Only small remnants can be discerned from the chancel compositions: insignificant fragments of the figure of the Savior, a pale contour of the throne, a couple of spots of angels\u2019 figures. Major part of the painting of the chancel was an inscription of the artist under and partly within the image of Christ\u2019s glory \u2013 it was specially emphasized by the size of the graphemes and the place.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Aisle<\/h6>\n
North bay <\/strong>displays a votive icon of the Virgin with the Child: the Virgin is depicted against the azure background. She has baby Jesus in her left hand and her head leaned towards Him. The Virgin\u2019s image is specially made prominent by an arched framing decorated with a white guilloche ornament. A calligraphic asomtavruli<\/em> inscription (insignificant fragments have survived) had been inscribed in the coils of the ornament. The significance of the votive icon of the Virgin is also determined by the fact that the blessing right hand extended from the segment is depicted in the vault of the deep bay. Individual images of holy mothers whose explanatory inscriptions have not survived were included in the same bay. Between these two figures, the image on the east wall of the bay was holding a cross, while that on the west wall was depicted in the orans posture.<\/p>\nA saint monk \u2013 St. Simeon Stylites the Stylite is depicted in the west corner of the north wall (\u10bc(\u10ab\u10a8\u10a3\u10a0)\u10c2 || \u10b1\u10b3(\u10a8)\u10ab(\u10a4)\u10ad\u10ac<\/strong> \u2013<\/strong> Saint Simeon<\/strong>). <\/strong>This image is conceptually united with the male donor figure depicted at the northern edge of the west wall \u2013 they are contained in a frame made up of two narrow lines.<\/p>\nIn the west arm<\/strong> the painting is so damaged that it is impossible to discuss the images based on the fragments of the extant frescos. Presently the figure of the male donor is best identifiable \u2013 it is depicted on the northern wall of the bay; the figure in supplication is directed towards the saint represented on the west wall of the church. No explanatory inscription has survived with the figure, but it is smaller than the donor depicted on the northern edge of the west wall.<\/p>\nThere is another donor image on the northern edge of the west wall \u2013 it is a secular male figure in supplication facing the chancel.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dating<\/h6>\n
Painting of the church of Mravaltskaro is marked with artistic and iconographic peculiarities of the local school of painting. No doubt it was executed simultaneously with construction of the church, in the second half of the ninth century. It is supported by paleographic features of the explanatory fresco inscriptions too.<\/p>\n\n
\nBibliography<\/h4>\n
\u201cGarejis mravalmt\u2019is monastrebi. Dasavlet\u2019i masivis gamok\u2019vabuli monastrebis ark\u2019itek\u2019turis, kedlis mkhatvrobisa da epigrp\u2019ikis sruli p\u2019oto da grap\u2019ikuli p\u2019ik\u2019sats\u2019ia\u201d [\u201cMonasteries of the Gareja Desert. Photo and Graphic Survey of the Western Massive Cave Monasteries\u201d], in Nikoloz Vacheishvili ed., Erovnuli kulturuli memkvidreobis programa \u2013 1997 [National Cultural Heritage Programme \u2013 1997]<\/em> (Tbilisi, 1997), 40\u20139, fig. 39\u201349 (with annotations).<\/p>\nValeri Silogava, Ts\u2019arts\u2019erebi garejis mravalts\u2019q\u2019arodan (IX\u2013XIII ss.) [Inscriptions from Gareja Mravalts\u2019q\u2019aro (9th\u201313th cc.)]<\/em> (Tbilisi, 1999).<\/p>\nZaza Skhirtladze, \u201cNewly Discovered Early Paintings in the Gareja Desert\u201d, in Antony Eastmond ed., Eastern Approaches to Byzantium. Papers from the Thirty-Third Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies [Publications of the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies: 9]<\/em> (Aldershot, 2001), 149\u201367.<\/p>\nZaza Skhirtladze, \u201cMasalebi garejis mravalmt\u2019is adreul mokhatulobat\u2019a shests\u2019avlisat\u2019vis. Mravalts\u2019q\u2019aros eklesia\u201d [Materials for the Study of the Early Paintings in the Gareja Desert. Church of Mravalcq\u2019aro], in Rismag Gordeziani ed., The Twenty Centuries of Christianity in Georgia <\/em>(Tbilisi, 2004), 257\u201373.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3409,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":[],"layer":[298],"period":[444],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/painting\/1245"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/painting"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/painting"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"layer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/layer?post=1245"},{"taxonomy":"period","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/period?post=1245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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