The 14th century work of art “The Infant Mary caressed by her parents Joachim and Anna” is a ceiling mosaic featured in the Chora Museum Monastery in Istanbul. It is pictorial depiction of religious histories, and is attributed to a team of Byzantine artists who were commissioned by the statesman and famous art patron Theodore Metochites. The work’s commission dates between 1315 and 1351 A. D. and is one of a series of famous Mary and Jesus murals presented in the Chora Monastery. This particular work, “The Infant Mary caressed by her parents Joachim and Anna” is aesthetically and historically significant because it portrays the story of the Mary before she became Jesus’ mother, and secondly it is an important piece of inspirational Christian art at a time when the Bible and reading in general was inaccessible to the masses.
The ceiling mosaic depicts the Virgin Mary as an infant, in the arms of her parents, being caressed by them. The mural is quite detailed but uncluttered with objects and people. There is also a young girl looking through a window, to the side of the mosaic. The mosaic style is executed with gilded brass, red and gold hues that make the entire ceiling of murals and frescoes at the Chora Monastery shine. According to Stevenko and the Kariye Museum, Theodore Metochites is credited with the full-scale restoration of the monastery where the work was painted. The small pieces of colored stones have been refurbished, the paint and the entire setting was restored in the 14th century and continues to be in good condition (Stevenko 178). The curators at the Museum believe the mosaic to be as vibrant now as it was nearly 1700 years ago. Art Historian Bente Killerich of the University of Bergen describes the art of the chapel “as if one were looking at the stage sets of a miniature theater…that lead the spectators eyes to the main part of the picture, to suggest not so much where the figures are, but who they are” (14). Killerich places the importance on the portrayal of Biblical characters and narratives rather than on the correctness of dimension, form, symmetry and other stylistic concerns.
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It is very likely that these murals and mosaics were valuable teaching tools to pass on the stories of the Bible, of Jesus and his family. These works of art offer valuable evidence for the Cult of Mary and of a life of rich spirituality and personal sacrifice. This is evident in another mosaic of the series “The Cycle of the Blessed Virgin” where another one depicts a 3-year old Mary who was admitted to the monastery to be trained until the age of 12. These murals helped tell the unsung history of the Mother of Jesus. The Kariye Museum website shares that the “pictorial” evidence in the murals proves Mary’s royal status: “the Virgin presented as an attendant at the temple, the Virgin receiving a skein of purple wool, as proof of her royal blood” and certainly helps to enhance the historiographic information about Mary the virgin mother of Jesus. Due to this, the collection is of great importance to early Christian art and as history and testimony of Mary’s life and purity before the annunciation.
The artists were keen to differentiate the texture of various objects in the picture. The design clearly shows the rough and smooth part of the picture. The wall is made such that it appears rough. On the other hand, the clothes and body parts of the individuals in the image appear smooth. The style used in this case brings in some aspect of reality. The use of contrasting and differing textures, create dimension, shadow, depth and movement. The gilded brilliance of the mosaics makes them appear alive, imbued with golden light from higher realms. Further, their placement around the shining cupola at the top center of the chapel lends an air of divinity to each and every one of the mosaics.
Thematically, other theorists such as Stevenko argue that the image in the mosaic represents the difference between Mary and other children of the time (180). He discusses the symmetrical placement of Mary in the mosaic, suggesting her superiority to other children, and the fact that she has the adoration of her parents. Furthermore, the gaze of the infant Mary is set high, suggesting a connection with the higher realms, God and the angels, for she is a blessed soul.
In conclusion, the Byzantine work of art ‘The Virgin Caressed by her Parents” is an iconographic mosaic in the Cycle of the Blessed Virgin series. The richness of these murals lies in their portrayal of the early life of Mary, which is seldom told and does not appear in any detailed form in the New Testament’s gospels. Aesthetically, it is a gorgeous example of Byzantine art, style and execution and influenced other works of Christian art that came after it. Lastly, art historians and the Kariye museum curators agree that the frescoes and mosaics in the Chora Monastery in Istanbul of considered some of the most extensive and significant of early Christian art that exist in the world. It is amazing that they were restored and preserved, thanks to the art patron Theodore Metochites.
- Cutler, Anthony. “Review of The Kariye Djami 4.” Speculum, 52.4 (1977): 1058-1061. Web. JSTOR.org. 2 December 2013.
- Killerich, Bente. “Aesthetic Aspects of Palaiologan Art in Constantinople: Some Problems.” Interaction and Isolation in Late Byzantine Culture, Ed J. O. Rosenquist. Stockholm: Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, 2004.
- Stevenko, Ihor. “Theodore Metochites, the Chora and the Intellectual Trends of His Time.” In P.A. Underwood The Kariye Djami 4: Studies in the Art of the Kariye Djami and Its Intellectual Background Volume 4. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1975.
