|
The Art of Book
Illustration and Miniatures |
|
Vaspourakan* |
|
|
 |
|
Unknown Artist, The Annunciation, Gospel 15th c., Khizan?
MS 5511, 1b, size 27 x 17 |
|
"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 Elements of
Vaspourakan Art |
|
It is to be noted that the so-called popular democratic elements had their social roots in the art of Vaspourakan.
Following the emigration of Senekerim Artsruni, the patrons of manuscripts, especially of the 13th-15th
centuries, did not include representatives of the royal family, the nobility or the higher clergy whose refined taste set the fashion in the elaborate art of Cilicia, Gladzor, Tatev, and some other cities of Armenian miniature. Under the arbitrary power of foreign occupants, the inhabitants of Vaspourakan were made up
|
 |
Artist Vardan, The Sacrifice of Abraham, the Annunciation, Gospel, 1319, Artskeh, MS 7456, 4b, size 32.5 x 23.5 |
|
basically of petty merchants and craftsmen, peasants, and the lower clergy
whose aesthetic criteria did not outrival traditional popular concepts. Popular democratic elements are traceable in Vaspourakan more than in any other school of Armenian miniature5.
Through limited pecuniary facilities, Vaspourakan, unlike other Armenian schools of miniature, could make no use of expensive parchment and gold in
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The manuscripts of Vaspourakan were scribed on ordinary paper. Highly interesting are the pictures of men of arts, patrons, scribes, and
illuminators. These paintings executed in flat decorative style throw some light on the existing mode of life, customs, and various facets of life of the given period and are no doubt of cognitive value.
The Canon-Table and Semi-Canon Table title pages and margins of Vaspourakan manuscripts excel in diversity of ornamental motifs. In the words of L.A. Durnovo, the ornament is not only a decorative element in this
case, but a theme as well. In most cases, legendary and apocryphal motifs, relating to paganism, are reproduced. They comprise the pictures of
legendary animals, the personification of the sun and the moon, fecundity, the dying and resurrecting god, the life tree, and other realities associated with cult rites. Most of them are interpreted in terms of the concepts
and milieu of that period, while some of them, despite the prevailing Christian outlook, have retained almost intact the elements of ancient beliefs. The Canon Tables (they are eight on the whole) are beautifully
designed, mostly with horseshoe-shaped arches, typical of the early period; their interior is adorned with floral and leaf patterns, in addition to geometrical figures. Impressive are the birds surmounting the Canon Tables:
peacocks, cocks, partridges, sparrows, and herons; all of them are stylized and figure as decorative elements.
The miniaturists of Vaspourakan proved highly accomplished artists in illuminating floral motifs in the margins, which bear testimony to their rich fantasy. Applying various devices, they interlaced floral elements with
animal pictures, often made use of ancient motifs, bringing them in line with their tastes and notions. Significant in this sense is the manuscript Narek (the book of mourning songs of Grigor Narekatsi) executed by the artist
Tseroun
in 1390. It contains over one hundred margins, the patterns of which are remarkable for their exceptional diversity. Avoiding recurrence, each of them is interesting in its own way.
|
 |
|
Artist Kirakos, The Virgin and Child, Gospel, 1351, Ournkar-Cilicia, MS 2745, 6b, size 30 x 22 |
|
Certain changes in style and iconography are discernible in Vaspourakan miniatures
as from the close of the fifteenth century; in some centers earlier, and in others, somewhat later. Local traditional forms dwindle gradually. The canonical cycle
gradually gets the upper hand, the choice of subjects becomes limited, themes connected with Christ's miracles drop out, and the number of worldly topics
reduces. A canonizing nature is imparted to such themes as the Creation of the World, the Fall, Doomsday, the Last Judgement, which culminate in the depiction of
Virgin Mary in the shape of a praying patroness and Jesus as the expiator of the human race. This entails a transformation of the general nature of evangelical
themes, the pictures turning form mere supplements and textual interpretations into a means of spiritual communication with the principal saints. This new approach is reflected in the stylized peculiarities of the miniatures.
The tendency of evangelical drama, its gist, the pathos of struggle and emotions, compel the artists to search for new ways and means to reveal in the main, the
tragical-emotional essence of the theme. The former simple and at times primitive narrative way of conveying all of this was no more applicable. It was natural,
therefore, to expect the miniaturists of Vaspourakan to pass on to the next step in painting when the subject of the illustration owned a definite thematic character materialized in a synthesis of painting and iconography.
True, several illuminations were executed in that spirit, but their nature was sporadic. In fact, the Vaspourakan miniature of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and Armenian art in general failed to attain maturity to
cope with those problems in consequence of the appalling social and economic circumstances and its development stopped half-way.
A period of complicated discontent set in the outgrowth of which was new Armenian art at the onset of the eighteenth century that put an end to medieval art. |
|
|
|
 |
|
5. Incidentally, as early as the mid-ninth century, in the township of Tondrak in Vaspourakan, the heretic teaching
originated. It had deep social roots and denounced the mysteries of the church. Virtually it was an anti-feudal, peculiar revolutionary opposition, with elements of political movement. In essence deeply patriotic,
the movement fostered also the public struggle against foreign invaders-Arabs and Byzantinians. |
|
|
|
|
|
Closing |
|
No other Armenian school can compare with that of Vaspourakan as to survival (13th to 17th
centuries) nor as to variety of creative endeavors. About 1500 handwritten books have come down to us, most of which are illustrated, though the quality of the illuminations varies greatly. In the main, those specimens of manuscriptal art are markedly unassuming, characteristic of popular art, rich motifs, and symbolic forms.
On the other hand, an appreciable number of miniatures exhibit high artistic merits, the best specimens being reproduced in the online album. The total number of the selected miniatures comes to ninety-six. The Vaspourakan school of miniatures forms one of the most original and interesting chapters of medieval
|
 |
Artist Vardan, Canon Table, Gospel, 1319, Artskeh, MS 7456, 13a, size 32.5 x 23.5 |
|
Christian art.
Maintaining throughout the centuries its individuality, it was not isolated, however,
from Armenian art in general and the remaining schools of miniature in particular; it was also in touch with the art of neighboring countries. Like the other schools of Armenian medieval miniature – Cilician, Syunik, Higher
Armenian, Crimean – preserving as they were their national entity, proved to be involved in one cultural medium or another (the latter could be purely national) and
bore the imprint peculiar to the iconography and style of the given milieu, the art of the Vaspourakan school is associated with that of Cappadocia, the Syrian-Arabic
countries, Persia and Mesopotamia, which figured as prominent cultural media (G. Hovsepian). This should account for the common features of figurative
language associating Vaspourakan miniature with the art of those countries. In addition, however, the Vaspourakan miniature was enriched by the introduction of
motifs from real life as well as from the realm of popular applied art, retaining basically the national spirit and an apprehension of beauty characteristic of that school alone.
Figuratively said, the traditions of the said medium and oriental art in general, refracting through the world outlook of the Armenian, acquired national coloring, were executed with peculiar ingenuity, delicate lyrism,
and were full of philosophical speculation conveyed by means of simple and restrained forms typical of Armenian art. The above statements substantiate all the more A. Baumshtark's words: "The painting traditions of ancient
eastern Mesopotamia possibly did not manifest themselves in such pure form as in the manuscripts of the Vaspourakan area". In this sense, the value of Vaspourakan oversteps the narrow framework of local art. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*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. |
|
|
|
|
|
2000 Armenian Cross. All Rights Reserved.