THE WALL PAINTINGS OF MATANI TSKHRAKARA MONASTERY AND THEIR ARTISTIC AND STYLISTYC PECULIARITIES

Abstract

Among the professional paintings of post-Byzantine artistic style in Georgian wall paintings of the late Middle Ages, the murals of the Tskhrakara Monastery in Matani stand out for their exquisite craftsmanship and artistic taste. Located on a mountain slope surrounded by forest near the village of Matani in Akhmeta districts, Tskhrakara Monastery is an architectural complex of different periods. It presents important examples of active monastic life and artistic creation from the Early Middle Ages to the Late Middle Ages. The central building, which was thoroughly rebuilt in the 8th-9th centuries, the basilica dating from the 5th century, has hall churches built from the south and north and the gate from the west. To the west of the basilica, a few meters away, there is another hall church built in the developed Middle Ages, in which the highly professional painting of post-Byzantine artistic style has been preserved both on the walls and on the channcel-barrier. Different paintings are presented both in basilica’s central nave, on the church built from the south, and on its chancel-barrier.
Studying the artistic style or iconographic details of paintings and trying to identify the damaged portraits of historical people, in some cases, offers a different version from the established date of painting. For example, the painting in the middle nave of the basilica dates to the first half of the 16th century because nun Anna, formerly known as Anastasia, the daughter of Garsevan, is considered a donator. The data comes from the inscription of the chancel-barrier, which was destroyed in the day. Although Garsevan’s last name is not mentioned in the inscription, he is considered to be Garsevan Cholokashvili, who was identified as a historical person at the beginning of the 16th century. He was the king’s official and relative of Queen Elene, the wife of king Av-Giorgi of Kakheti. He hid the king’s son, Prince Levan (later known as King Leon of Kakheti (1520-1574), from the pursuers of king Davit of Kartli and contributed to his enthronement. However, another Garsevan Cholokashvili, a poet and author of “Praise of Fruits “and “Nargizovani”, is mentioned in Jerusalem’s synaxarion between 1643 and 1649. Because the painting is fragmentary, it is difficult to attribute it to the first half of the16th century or the beginning of the 17th century. Still, the peculiarities of individual details of artistic style and iconography speak more in favor of the later date.
It should also be noted that the wall painting of the separate hall church shows such skill in its artistic style that it can be dated to the middle of the 16th century. Moreover, the images of the male donator with the church model in his hand and his young son preserved on the church’s west wall could probably be identified as King Leon of Kakheti and his son.