CHURCH ANALYSIS
Euphrasian Basilica- Poreč, Croatia
Combining classical and Byzantine elements, the Euphrasian Basilica was rebuilt starting in 553 during the period of Bishop Euphrasius. It is an early example of the tri-apsidal church and is decorated with a mosaic of Mary and Child sitting on the heavenly throne. Mary, the basilica’s dedicatee, is a reoccurring figure of the linkage between heaven and earth. The hand, representing God the Father, reaches down from the heavenly realm and holds a wreath over the figures. Mary is flanked by Bishop Euphranius, who holds the model of the church as an offering. Emphasis is put on the Bishop as the commissioner of the Church and he is praised in the inscriptions. Mary is also flanked by angels and local saints including St. Maurus, the first Bishop of Poreč, and Saint Claudius.
San Vitale Basilica- Ravenna, Italy
Combining Roman and Byzantine elements, San Vitale was built under Bishop Ecclesius in 526. The mosaics served to establish the authority of Emperor Justinian in the Church. His rule illuminated the Church’s two-fold secular and religious purpose. The semi-circular apse in the eastern end is surrounded by a triumphal arch. In the apse, Jesus is depicted as the central figure and sits over earth as a link to the heavenly realm. The four rivers of paradise referenced in the book of Genesis flow beneath him. He is handing a crown to San Vitales, who was the primary martyr of the city and serves as another link between heaven and earth. Bishop Ecclesius, the sponsor of the Church, is depicted handing over the Church to Christ as an offering.
Above: Mary and Child serve as the central figure on the apse. Bishop Euphranius is pictured on the left holding the model of the church.
Above: Jesus depicted as the central figure sitting on the orb of the earth. He hands a crown to San Vitales pictured on the left . Bishop Ecclesius is pictured on the right with the model of the church.
Above: Virgin and Child
Santa Prassede-Rome, Italy
The paradigm of the series of mosaics commissioned in Rome, the Santa Prassede was augmented with the mosaic by Pope Paschal I in 822. Paschal aimed for a renewal of Rome and planned for the basilica to imitate the Constantinian basilica of St. Peter’s in the Vatican. Jesus is depicted as the central figure as the true embodiment of heaven and earth, and the Hand of God is once again used as a symbol of the heavenly realm. Jesus is flanked by St. Peter and St. Paul, who embraces St. Praxides. On the far left Paschal presents a model of the church as an offering and reinforces the pope as an authoritative figure. He is pictured with a square halo, a symbol of his canonization while he was still the ruler. The twelve lambs pictured below symbolize the apostles. Written in Latin hexameter verse, the inscription that runs along the lower rim of the apse honors St. Prassede and credits the pope with its patronage [2]. This apse mosaic ties together the elements of Byzantine style with the elements added by the Roman style and show how the styles throughout the Empire were connected.
Hagia Sophia- Istanbul, Turkey
Constructed in 867 AD, the addition of the apse mosaic to the Hagia Sophia serves as an embodiment of the middle Byzantine style. The Virgin and Child image on the apse was the first reintroduced after the Iconoclasm and served as a statement of the triumph of orthodoxy. The beta apse drew from earlier images of Virgin and Child that had been destroyed but also added an element of solidity to signify the Church's strength. The divine light of heaven was illuminated by the gold background and served to reinforce its celestial nature. Before its destruction, the original inscription read "the images which the imposters had cast down, here the pious emperors have set up again" to declare the permanent restoration of icons in the Church. Mary once again served to unite the heaven and earth through the divine life of Jesus. The Hagia Sophia also sheds light on the method used in the mosaics. Conservators found three layers of original plaster under the mosaic tesserae, with the uppermost layer composed of lime and marble dust. The plaster was applied in small sections so the tesserae could be added while it was still moist. Conservators also noted that the outlines of the figures and haloes were installed at an angle "to give a sharper contour to the images as well as to reflect light".[1]
Above: Jesus pictured as the central figure with the Hand of God reaching over Him. Paschal pictured on the far left holding a model of the Church.
[1] Natalie B Teteriatnikov, "Mosaics of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul," The Fossati Restoration and the Work of the Byzantine Institute, Accessed February 7, 2016, http://www.doaks.org/es/publica tions/doaks-online-publications/mosaics-of-hagia-sophia/sophia.pdf