Painting in Christian Nubia
The painting is the architecture the most notable art form in Christian Nubia . This painting is strongly religious and influenced by Byzantine models.
discovery
The first modern mention of Nubian painting, which is mostly wall painting , comes from the 18th century by Frederic Louis Norden , who described the ancient Egyptian temple of Amada (Lower Nubia) in 1738 and mentioned its Christian painting. In the period that followed, some paintings were copied that are now often lost. The interest in the paintings was generally not very great. Somers Clarke (1841–1926) described examples of Nubian painting. He felt it was somber Byzantine.
It was not until the early 1960s that these paintings were recognized as an independent artistic achievement. During this period there were numerous well-preserved wall paintings in the Cathedral of Faras . The ongoing excavations in other Nubian locations have brought many new examples of this art form to light. Numerous notable examples have been found particularly in Old Dunqula , the capital of Makuria .
subjects
Most of the paintings were found in the Christian churches of Nubia and are therefore religiously influenced. There are numerous representations of Our Lady, the image of Christ , the archangels and numerous saints. In the cathedral of Faras the bishops under whom the paintings were carried out are also often depicted. Apparently it was the custom that every new bishop immortalized himself there with his own image. They appear together with saints, but also with Our Lady. The saints, Christ or the Mother of God are usually depicted with white skin, while the bishops are depicted as dark-skinned.
In addition to the churches, monasteries were also painted. They usually show a comparable repertoire of motifs. Non-religious representations are very rare. In a monastery in Old Dunqula, unique scenes were found. There is a representation of dancing figures on one wall. Another scene shows two men sealing a contract.
From Arab writers we learn that there were buildings in Old Dungula that represented the defeat of Muslims.
style
The paintings are clearly influenced by Coptic- Byzantine influences. The figures and especially the faces are usually shown frontally. There is little hint of spatiality. The figures are seldom modeled three-dimensionally, even if there are hints of shadows.
The oldest surviving examples of Nubian-Christian wall painting come from the Cathedral of Faras and date from the first half of the 8th century. These are the paintings from the first layer of plaster in the building. In the apse Mary and the twelve apostles are depicted. Other early paintings come from Adu Oda . They are preserved in the vaults of a rock church and show figures in a landscape. It is not certain whether the churches of Old Dunqula were already painted with figural scenes at that time, but there are remains of painted marble imitations.
The evolution of Nubian painting can best be followed by looking at the stages of decoration in Faras Cathedral. Four layers of plaster could be distinguished, to which certain styles were assigned.
The style that occurs on the first layer of plaster (violet sil) is characterized by little space. The figures are characterized by clear contours. They show oval, even faces and large eyes and are reduced to the essentials. There is only a modest repertoire, mainly of standing saints, angels, Christ and the apostles. There are only a few scenes with a narrative character.
The highlight of the painting are the works in the colorful style. It differs from the previous style mainly through a richer color scheme and the joy of reproducing rich garments. Some large-scale scenes date from this time, such as the birth of Christ or the three young people in the fiery furnace (see picture).
A reduction in the color palette can be observed in the following period. The scenes often appear schematic. Gray is often used and there are green-red contrasts that did not exist before. The figures now look slimmer. With the disappearance of the Nubian Christian empires in the 14th and 15th centuries, this art form also disappears.
| Plaster layer | style | Dating |
|---|---|---|
| Earliest plaster | Purple style / A | 8th century |
| Late purple style / B | First half of the 9th century | |
| Intermediate style / C | Mid 9th century | |
| White style / D | Second half of the 9th century, early 10th century | |
| Second plaster | Yellow-red style / E | Early 10th century |
| Third plaster | Colorful style I / F | Late 10th century |
| Colorful style II / G | 11th century | |
| Colorful style III / H | 12th Century | |
| Latest plaster | Later style | 13th Century |
Individual evidence
- ^ M. Martens-Czarnecka: Wall Paintings discovered in Dongola in the 2004 Season . ( Memento of the original from November 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Polish Archeology in the Mediterranean XVI, Reports 2004 . 2005, pp. 273-284
- ↑ Example: Archangel Gabriel ( Memento from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Another example: Madonna Eleusa ( Memento from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
literature
- Wilfried Seipel (Ed.): Faras. The cathedral from the desert sand . Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-85497-042-0 .
Web links
- Special exhibition in Vienna on Faras (German and English)