In setting the tesserae, the various horizontal rows, located for the most part upon the curving surfaces of vaults and arches and hence only to be seen obliquely and from below, were not placed contiguous one to another but were separated by an appreciable extent of plaster, often equivalent to several times the width of the individual cube the tesserae moreover were not set normal to the surface of the plaster but inclined outward and downward, in order to catch the light and reflect it with a shimmering, twinkling vibration to the eye of the spectator below. The slab was next broken up into tiny irregular cubes measuring less than a quarter of an inch on a side and was then ready for use. Upon the under surface of the slab there seems further to have been smeared a peculiar red substance the purpose of which has not heretofore been understood. Over this was flowed a final and very thin protective coating of glass which not only held the gold leaf firmly but also greatly enhanced its brilliance. Upon a comparatively thin slab of glass, transparent and of a yellow or greenish tinge, was spread a delicate layer of beaten gold, or sometimes silver, fastened smoothly in place by an adhesive such as gum arabic. "The entire ceiling," writes Procopius, "is covered with real gold," 1 while other mediaeval authors descant upon the great extent and dazzling beauty of this decoration, 2 likening it to the gleam of the noonday sun. 3 And since it indeed ranks among the most remarkable and characteristic manifestations of the Byzantine artistic genius, a detailed study of the technique involved may perhaps not prove amiss. These rich designs and gravely daunting figures were worked upon the golden background with tiny cubes or tesserae of colorful glass and marble, silver, blue, red, green, black, yellow, brown, purple and rose, each cube set individually upon the matrix of moist plaster as the compositions were slowly and laboriously developed.Īnd yet, however august and inspiring these great scenes and solemn figures may once have appeared, it is the vast and sparkling expanse of the gold mosaic to which poets and historians refer again and again. Upon this as a background were developed not only a wealth of deeply glowing ornament, lending sparkle and accent to architectural lines, but also great figure compositions instinct with the awful dignity of a dogmatic and powerful faith, a faith imperial and triumphant, which thought it no more than fitting to people the halls of heaven with a vast hierarchy of deities, º saints and angels, modeled upon the grave pomp and glittering ceremony of the imperial court of all-powerful Byzantium. Throughout the entire Church of Hagia Sophia at Constantinople the surfaces of all vaults and arches above the level of the marble revetment were encrusted originally with gold mosaic.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |