The Art of Book Illustration and Miniatures

Vaspourakan^*

"Vaspourakan, one of the fifteen provinces of historical Armenia, has been of major consequence in the cultural and political history of the Armenian people".^* Below is a brief account of important historical milestones that can be considered to have changed the cultural and religious atmosphere of Vaspourakan, creating the avenue for the discovery of excellence in book illustration and miniature art.  Until today, we have many original works dating back centuries that were created by the artists of the Vaspourakan area.  Read about each individual artist here.  The Album is coming soon.

The Vaspourakan Style

Worthy of interest is the style of Vaspourakan miniature.  The composition and interpretation of the characters display flat presentation.  The basic device of expression is the line which assumes greater vividness in combination with bright, pure colors.  The figures of personalities and their actions drawn in sketchy lines disagree with the rules of perspective composition but are arranged on the plane of the

Unknown Artist, The Harrowing of Hell, Gospel, 15th c., Khizan?, MS 5511, 7a, size 27 x 17

sheet in rows horizontally or one above the other.  Such figures are traced back to an older art, reminding us at the same time of the arrangement of figures in the frescoes and reliefs of Sourp Khach church in Akhtamar.  In both cases, in manuscriptal miniatures and the church reliefs and frescoes of Vaspourakan, the compositions are directly related; they are of a frieze nature and assume bold expressiveness in consequence of the combination of unique devices: in one case – planes and shades,  in another – lines and colors.  In the brisk movements of characters (at times several movements seem to combine at the same time), the frontal attitude predominates. 

Relying on those principles, the Vaspourakan miniaturists attempt to reveal not so much the concrete form of man or things of the objective world in their natural particulars as the sign-images (symbols) into which the patterns devised by the artists themselves have been transformed.  The artist restricts the scope of action of the characters rather to similar "sign-images" than to a display of architectural design, landscapes or other secondary details.  In such an approach, unity and harmony are achieved in the first place through rhythmic movements.  The main trend (leitmotif) of this rhythm virtually oversteps the boundaries of ordinary design purpose and acquires the broader and deeper sense of perpetual motion.

 

Artist Israel, The Sacrifice of Abraham, Gospel, 1447, Possavank (Moks), MS 4922, 3a, 25 x 18

Here the attention of the onlooker is focussed on the concept lying at the root of the dynamic drawings and not on the attractiveness of peculiar outer forms of the design, i.e., the stress is laid on content.  In other words, the simple course of action and the external particulars are unessential nor is the aesthetic value of true motion (plastics) significant, the semantic essence of the images is brought to the fore.

The rhythmic repetition of the very forms, the ornamented presentation of apparel folds, the exquisitely

Artist Karapet Berkretsi, Ezekiel's Vision, Gospel, 1498, Arants, MS 4955, 4b, size 25 x 17

accentuated features of complexion (especially the elongated endings of eyebrows and lashes), lend the miniatures a kind of theatrical tonality, carrying the onlooker away from the world of everyday impressions, thoughts, and concerns.

Possibly, no other school of Armenian miniature has so conspicuously displayed the close link and similarity with other provinces of popular applied art as the school of Vaspourakan.  Completely conversant with popular artistic tradition, the illuminators of Vaspourakan often showed their consummate skill also in other aspects of the arts (engraving, rug weaving, etc.).  Naturally, they introduced in the art of book painting the traditions and devices of popular crafts that manifested themsleves in o

Artist Hovsian, The Sacrifice of Abraham, Gospel, 1316, village Hazarakn (Berkri), MS 4818, 6a, size 33 x 23

rnamental designs, in the contrast of pure paints and the simplicity of form.  We should recall also the printed color fabrics used in the bindings of Vaspourakan manuscripts and the bindings made by the silver- and gold-smiths.  The markedly rhythmic nature of Vaspourakan miniatures is accountable in terms of the direct impact of tradition and customs of popular art.  The rhythm is evident both in the lines of the illumination and the combination of alternating colors – red, blue, green, and yellow.  The rhythm of color and lines in the miniature stands out especially against the background of clean paper.  As a whole, the sense of color in the Vaspourakan miniature achieves at times exceptional power, even if spontaneously.  Though the colors are limited in number (in all 4-5) and are given in pure combinations, yet the degree of their saturation and the particular choice of paints create a unique poetic and impressive tonality.  The influence of other types of popular art is quite evident, particularly in color solutions which assume a new quality.

The Canon Tables and Semi-Canon Tables of Vaspourakan manuscripts disclose floral and zoomorphous motifs, rich in substance, of the mural reliefs of Armenian temples (Zvartnots, Akhtamar, Makaravank) or wooden fretwork (for instance, the door of the Apostle's Church in Moush, twelfth century).  The pure combinations of colors in the Vaspourakan miniatures make an indelible impression like that produced by the lovely Armenian carpets and the exquisite lacework.  They bring to one's mind a wedding song of identical loveliness:

The eyes of the illuminated characters arrest the attention in the Vaspourakan miniatures.  Framed in additional color contours (green or brown), the eyes impart the person's depth.  The artists must have aimed to underline most of all man's eyes on his face, applying all their technique to this end.  You look at their favorite characters and as though the heroes of the national epic, tales, and ancient legends come back to life before your view, in their humane good nature.  What warmth the female characters convey, especially the image of the Virgin Mary, who seems to incarnate the women praised in the Armenian epic, subtle and full of life.

Epicism, lyric charm and exciting intimacy feature in those simple and life-breathing miniatures.  Owing to close contact with folk art and world outlook, illustrations on worldly matters dominate in the Vaspourakan miniatures coupled sometimes with elements picturing ancient beliefs or details from everyday life depicted in general outline or at times with ethnographic precision.  Such motifs are in profusion, especially in subjects bearing on Christ's miracles: "Marriage at Cana", "The Healing of the Widow's Son", "The Raising of Lazarus", etc., frequently with the participation of representatives of the simple folk: public criers, shepherds, peasants, children, and so on.

3.  A species of flower.

4.  Free translation from Russian.

The Art of Book Illustration & Miniatures Continued > > >

*Information and photos about Vaspourakan miniature found on this site, unless otherwise indicated, are quoted and taken  from Armenian Miniature Vaspourakan [Madenataran, Mashtot's Institute of Old Manuscripts Under the Auspices of the Council of Ministers of the Armenian SSR, 1978; "Sovetakan Grogh" Publishing House, Yerevan].  Compiled, Introduction, and Commentaries by Hravard Hakopian; Editors: V.H. Kazarian, A.S. Matevossian; publishing editors: V.L. Vartanian, A.S. Sharourian, M.V. Sahagian, A.S. Hovsepian; photographer:R.S. Bedrossian; Kegharvesdagan editor: Ok. A. Asadrian; Krki maged@ yev dekh. editoring: A.A. Madiniani; Proofreading Editors: E. B. Boghossian, B. S. Avedissian, A. O. Ayvazian.