Representations of architectural forms in the early Byzantine period across the contemporary Bulgarian lands. Prototypes and subsequent development

01 May, 2014 – 01 May, 2017

Author: Asst. Prof. Iva Doseva, PhD, Fine Arts Department

1. A short analysis of the state of affairs:
A number of representations of architectural forms have already been found as well as other realia related to them. These representations occur across the Byzantine world both in monumental arts (murals, mosaics, sculptures in relief) and in artifacts of ivory, metal and earthenware. Though across Bulgaria the number and types of such artifacts are fewer, there are enough objects to be included in the proposed research such as representations of conchs, pillars, partitions, facings. Representations on burial facilities form another group. The subject is a follow-up of a kind to my recently competed planned project, where I just posed some questions, which lie ahead to be developed. I have already worked on other issues such as representations on knot columns in the medieval period.
Undoubtedly, most of the representations on architectural forms have been interpreted in a satisfactory way in publications on certain artifacts of the Late Antique, Early Byzantine and Medieval periods, but I am unaware of any work that would focus on them alone.
2. Contribution:
– Information – recording, systematizing and interpretation of monuments from the vantage point of the raised issue; placing it in the context of Late Antique, Early Byzantine art.
– Ideas – clarifying some of the criteria, according to which the represented objects have been selected, or rather, their representative, typical details. The solutions found have been further developed over the medieval period, while at times the models remain hardly recognizable.
– Methodology – adopting an interdisciplinary approach supposes work in the field of history of architecture, history and theory of art.
3. Clear perspective of the goals and scientific application:
History of art.
4. Relevance:
There are significant disproportions between the general publications on the monuments of art in Bulgaria and such monuments in the rest of the regions. Publications on architecture and murals in burial mounds make an exception.