Goryan Rotunda in the Context of Traditions of Monumental Painting of the 13th and 14th Centuries

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to study the traditions of monumental painting of the Goryan Rotunda near Uzhgorod in the context of the development of art of the XIII-XIV centuries. The research methodology lies in the application of the analytical approach in order to highlight the peculiarities of the monumental paintings of the Goryan Rotunda. An important element of the research was observation and description, which made it possible to investigate and outline the evolution of the development of the traditions of monumental painting in the context of the general artistic trends of the 13th and 14th centuries. The novelty of the research lies in the systematisation and generalisation of research on the monumental painting of the Goryan Rotunda, which belongs to the outstanding monuments of the XIII-XIV centuries. Conclusions. Amazing frescoes even today impress visitors with the high skill of execution and at the same time the simplicity and vitality of the characters. The harmonious colour of wall paintings, graceful plots and elegant silhouettes of images are filled with deep spirituality and evoke a pleasant feeling of beauty. Today, scientists are of the opinion that the frescoes in Goryany, those on the surface, represent the era of the early Renaissance and were made in the 14th century by the unsurpassed Italian masters of the Giotto school, but they were then applied on top of images painted here much earlier. The main plots are "Annunciation", "Flight into Egypt", "Passion", "Gifts of the Magi", "Christmas", / "Resurrection". It is likely that the new frescoes were commissioned by the family of the Italian Counts of Drugeti, who have been the owners of our lands since 1318 and ruled here hereditary for 360 years. The researchers recognised the technology of their execution – this is a complex technique that is no longer used today: a wet, "fresh" surface absorbed a 10-centimeter layer of paint during painting. Scenes from the New Testament are depicted on the walls of the temple, which run in two lanes, without destroying the impression of the integrity of the interior.

Keywords: Goryan rotunda, monumental paintings, architecture, colour, frescoes.