{"id":1248,"date":"2020-12-09T19:39:41","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T19:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/?post_type=painting&p=1248"},"modified":"2022-01-10T08:19:31","modified_gmt":"2022-01-10T08:19:31","slug":"gareji-sabereebi-murals-of-church-of-%e2%84%965","status":"publish","type":"painting","link":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/painting\/gareji-sabereebi-murals-of-church-of-%e2%84%965\/","title":{"rendered":"Gareja, Sabereebi, Murals of the Church \u21165"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Building:<\/strong><\/td>\nGareja, Sabereebi, Church \u21165<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Layer of the Murals:<\/strong><\/td>\nOne Layer<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Date\/Period:<\/strong><\/td>\nSecond half of the 9th century<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Donor(s):<\/strong><\/td>\nUnknown<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Painter(s):<\/strong><\/td>\nUnknown<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Building\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"Gallery\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n
[toc]<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Inscription(s)<\/h4>\n

of the Donor(s)<\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

of the Painter(s)<\/h6>\n

The inscription is executed in the east corner of the north wall of the north arm of the church, right of the images of the warrior saints; because of its paleographical resemblance with other fresco inscriptions accompanying images, also due to its situation \u2013 positioned rather high above the floor, at 215cm \u2013 it is supposed to belong to the artist who painted the church: \u10bb\u10ab\u10a0<\/strong>||<\/strong>\u10ac\u10ad \u10aa\u10ad\u10ba<\/strong>||<\/strong>\u10a5\u10a0[\u10b1]\u10a0 \u10a2[\u10ad]<\/strong>||[<\/strong>\u10c3]\u10a4\u10a3\u10a8<\/strong>||<\/strong>\u10a0 \u10a0<\/strong>(\u10ab\u10c1)<\/strong>\u10ac <\/strong>\u2013 B<\/strong>rothers, pray for me, Amen <\/strong>(Zaza Skhirtladze, Sabereeebis p\u2019reskuli ts\u2019arts\u2019erebi [Fresco Iscriptions of Sabereebi] [sak\u2019art\u2019velos istoriis ts\u2019q\u2019aroebi: 35 [Sources for History of Georgia: 35]<\/em> (Tbilisi, 1985), 25).<\/p>\n\n

\n

Description<\/h4>\n

The church and the south chapel are decorated with painting.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Church<\/h6>\n

The church was fully plastered. The chancel and the eastern bay of the north wall are painted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chancel<\/h6>\n

The Glory of Christ <\/em>represented in the chancel is distributed in two registres. The figure of Christ in the conch (\u10c2<\/strong>(\u10a4\u10b1)<\/strong>\u10ad | \u10b5<\/strong>(\u10b0\u10a8\u10b1\u10b2)<\/strong>\u10a4<\/strong> \u2013 Jesus Christ<\/strong>) is depicted without mandorla; the Savior seated on a throne has His right hand raised in blessing and an open codex with a twelve-line asomtavruli<\/em> text written on it (John 1:1). Figures of a bull, on the right, and a lion, on the left of the pedestal of Christ\u2019s have survived in the form of a preparatory drawing. On both sides of the Savior full-length figures of archangels (on the north [\u10bc(\u10ab\u10a8\u10a3\u10a0)\u10c2]<\/strong> | [<\/strong>\u10ab<\/strong>]\u10b5\u10aa <\/strong>\u2013 Saint Michael<\/strong>; on the south \u10bc<\/strong>(<\/strong>\u10ab\u10a8\u10a3\u10a0<\/strong>)<\/strong>\u10c2 | \u10a2\u10a0\u10a1\u10b0<\/strong>(\u10a8\u10a4\u10aa)<\/strong> \u2013 Saint Gabriel<\/strong>) are depicted frontally. They have one hand raised in supplication towards Christ, and in another – holding a rolled-up scroll. A cherub on a fiery chariot is depicted between the Savior and each of the figures of archangels. Wings of the seraphs are covered with eyes (\u10b5\u10a4\u10b0\u10a0\u10a1||\u10a8\u10ac\u10a8 <\/strong>\u2013 Cherub<\/strong>)<\/strong> can be read with the figure next to Holy Archangel Michael). The conch composition is represented on the background of the starry sky where stars are indicated by rather big-size four, six and eight-petal flowers inscribed in a circle.<\/p>\n

Southern and northern edges of the conch, below the imposts frontal figures of deacons are depicted. Unlike the monumental portrayals of the Savior and the Archangels, the figures of the saints are smaller in size and contained in quadrangular framing; the deacons are expressed with their whole bodies wearing robes and coats fastened at the chest. The image of a deacon on the southern section who, according to the inscription, could be St. Stephen or St. Damian ([\u10bc(\u10ab\u10a8\u10a3\u10a0)\u10c2]<\/strong> | [<\/strong>– – – –<\/strong>]\u10a0\u10ac\u10a4 <\/strong>\u2013 Saint [- – – -]ane) <\/strong>is in a better state of preservation. <\/strong>He has a reliquary in the left hand, while his right hand is directed towards the reliquary in the sign of blessing (only parts of the nimb and a small upper part of the head have survived from the other image).<\/p>\n

The registres are separated from each other by a folded ornament.<\/p>\n

In the centre of the second registre the Mother of God is depicted flanked by six-figure rows of the apostles on each side. Presently the painting is hardly discernable: on the north wall, at the third figure from the image of the Virgin one can read \u10bc<\/strong>(\u10ab\u10a8\u10a3\u10a0)\u10c2<\/strong> […] <\/strong>\u2013 Saint [\u2026]<\/strong>, and at the sixth figure \u2013 \u10bc<\/strong>(\u10ab\u10a8\u10a3\u10a0)<\/strong>\u10c2 || \u10c2\u10a0||\u10a9\u10ad||\u10a1 <\/strong>\u2013 Saint James<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Aisle<\/h6>\n

There are figures of rider saints facing each other depicted on the north wall<\/strong> of the eastern niche arranged in the north wall; of the damaged figures only the foot of the left rider placed in the stirrup, the horse\u2019s legs, and a small fragment of the dragon\u2019s body can be discerned.<\/p>\n

Small fragments of two figures have survived on the east wall of the north arm and near the chancel of the same wall, on the northern edge of the corner. Here, supposedly, protomartyr deacons are depicted \u2013 only part of ecclesiastic clothing and a deacon stole are visible.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Southern Porch<\/h6>\n

Paintings have been preserved in the arched bay carved in the eastern part of the north wall; it is presumable that, like the main space, the chancel would have been painted in the chapel too \u2013 trace of plastering can be identified there. It is difficult to speak about the murals in the chapel as it is almost destroyed \u2013 only part of the chancel apse and the north wall have survived.<\/p>\n

There is a composition of the Crucifixion <\/em>on the upper section of the eastern part of the north wall. The figures of the Good Thief and the Impenitent Thief crucified with their hands tied at the back are depicted on both sides of crucified Christ (\u10c2(\u10a4\u10b1\u10ad)\u10c3 | \u10b5(\u10b0\u10a8\u10b1\u10b2)\u10a4<\/strong> \u2013 Jesus Christ<\/strong>) wearing a long colobium; the thieves are painted on the walls of the niche (near the figure depicted in the upper part of the east wall: \u10a3\u10ad(\u10c3)\u10ab(<\/strong>\u10a0<\/strong>)\u10b5\u10b1<\/strong> \u2013 Dismas, <\/strong>near the figure depicted in the upper part of the west wall \u10a2\u10a4\u10b1\u10b2\u10ad\u10a6 <\/strong>\u2013 Gestas<\/strong>). In front of crucified Christ are also featured Roman centurions \u2013 Longinus ([<\/strong>\u10aa<\/strong>]\u10ad<\/strong>(<\/strong>\u10ac<\/strong>)<\/strong>\u10a2<\/strong>(\u10a8)<\/strong>\u10ac[\u10ad\u10a6] <\/strong>\u2013 Longinus)<\/strong> (on the left) and a the one with the sponge ([…]\u10a0[-]\u10ad\u10b1[-][…]<\/strong> \u2013 […]<\/strong>A<\/strong>[-]<\/strong>OS<\/strong>[…]<\/strong>) (on the right); images of the Virgin ([<\/strong>\u10bc<\/strong>(\u10ab\u10a8\u10a3\u10a0)\u10c2<\/strong>] | \u10ab(\u10a0\u10b0\u10a8\u10a0)\u10ab <\/strong>\u2013 Saint Mary)<\/strong> and St. John the Theologian were depicted in the lower part of the composition (the Virgin\u2019s nimb can be discerned in the lower left-hand section). Two medallions drawn graphically\u2013 symbolic images of the sun and the moon \u2013 are represented on both sides of the cross near Christ\u2019s nimb.<\/p>\n\n

\n

Bibliography<\/h4>\n

Aneli Vol\u2019skaja, \u201cRannie rospisi Garedzhi\u201d [\u201cEarly Paintings of Gareja\u201d], IV Mezhdunarodnij simpozium po gruzinskomu iskusstvu [Offprint from the Fourth International Symposium on Georgian Art]<\/em> (Tbilisi, 1983).<\/p>\n

Tat\u2019jana Shevjakova, Monumental\u2019naja zhivopis\u2019 rannego srednevekov\u2019ja Gruzii [The Monumental Painting of the Early Medieval Georgia]<\/em> (Tbilisi, 1983), 9\u201311.<\/p>\n

Zaza Skhirtladze, Sabereeebis p\u2019reskuli ts\u2019arts\u2019erebi [Fresco Iscriptions of Sabereebi] [sak\u2019art\u2019velos istoriis ts\u2019q\u2019aroebi: 35 [Sources for History of Georgia: 35]<\/em> (Tbilisi, 1985), 12\u201336.<\/p>\n

Aneli Vol\u2019skaja, \u201cRospisi peshchernykh monastyrej David Garedzhi\u201d [\u201cMurals of the David Gareji Cave Monasteries\u201d], in Konstantine P\u2019itskhelauri ed., Gareji [Kakhet\u2019is ark\u2019qeologiuri ek\u2019speditsiis shromebi: VIII [Kakheti Archeological Expedition Studies: VIII]<\/em> (Tbilisi, 1988), 132\u20134.<\/p>\n

Marine Q\u2019enia, \u201cAdreul k\u2019art\u2019ul mokhatulobat\u2019a programebis t\u2019aviseburebat\u2019a gamo\u201d [\u201cOn the Pecularities of Programmes of Early Georgian Murals\u201d], Sak\u2019art\u2019velos Sidzveleni [Georgian Antiquities]<\/em> 11 (2007): 47\u201350.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3412,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":[],"layer":[298],"period":[444],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/painting\/1248"}],"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\/3412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"layer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/layer?post=1248"},{"taxonomy":"period","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arthistory.tsu.ge\/murals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/period?post=1248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}