DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43337#0351
348 | THE WALL PAINTINGS OF AKHTALA MONASTERY
ings. It is interesting that painting of the altar apse under the niche
of the synthronon contains the most unusual inscription: «...help thy
servant Ioann...». This is an expression of the donor’s own will and
confirms that Ivane himself took part in devising the iconographic
programme.
The Akhtala church has come down the ages as the most important
monument to Ivane Mkhargrdzeli and his historical portrait enables to
reach a deeper understanding of the paintings he commissioned.
3. THE DATE OF THE PAINTINGS
94 See Kuirakos, p. 125.
95 Muradian, Georgian Epigraphy,
pp. 120-121.
96Meskhia, Georgia in the 12th century,
pp. 257-258.
97 Kuirakos, pp. 120-125.
Historical sources enable us to establish the lower and upper time lim-
its within which the paintings were made. The lower limit is 1188 —
the year when, as the khatchkar tells us, Plindzahank was still Mono-
physite. The upper limit is 1216 when, as Stepanos Orbelian tells us,
Ivane kept a piece of the True Cross in Plindzahank and the monas-
tery’s father superior participated in the trial at Dvin to decide the fate
of the precious relic. By this date, therefore, Plindzahank belonged to
Ivane and was Chalcedonian. By then it was more than likely to already
possess its wall paintings since such frescoes with Greek and Georgian
inscriptions were regarded in 13lll-century Armenia as an essential dis-
tinguishing feature of a Chalcedonian church. It should also be noted
that the Akhtala church was built to have wall paintings: the interior
stonework was not only left unfaced but also given a rough finish to
enable plaster to adhere better.
The date of Ivane’s conversion to the Chalcedonian Creed would
help us to be still more precise in determining exactly when the fres-
coes were painted. From Kuirakos’ text it is clear that he was already
a Chalcedonian in 120594 but we cannot be more exact. The Georgian
inscription at Tejaruik, Muradian believes, can be dated to 1196-99 and
therefore places Ivane’s conversion at the very end of the 12th centu-
ry95. S.A. Meskhia concludes that this event
occurred с. 120 096. So sometime between 1196
and 1205 Ivane Mkhargrdzeli went over to the
Chalcedonian Creed.
In our view, however, the historical sources
enable us to establish a more precise date for
ings. It is interesting that painting of the altar apse under the niche
of the synthronon contains the most unusual inscription: «...help thy
servant Ioann...». This is an expression of the donor’s own will and
confirms that Ivane himself took part in devising the iconographic
programme.
The Akhtala church has come down the ages as the most important
monument to Ivane Mkhargrdzeli and his historical portrait enables to
reach a deeper understanding of the paintings he commissioned.
3. THE DATE OF THE PAINTINGS
94 See Kuirakos, p. 125.
95 Muradian, Georgian Epigraphy,
pp. 120-121.
96Meskhia, Georgia in the 12th century,
pp. 257-258.
97 Kuirakos, pp. 120-125.
Historical sources enable us to establish the lower and upper time lim-
its within which the paintings were made. The lower limit is 1188 —
the year when, as the khatchkar tells us, Plindzahank was still Mono-
physite. The upper limit is 1216 when, as Stepanos Orbelian tells us,
Ivane kept a piece of the True Cross in Plindzahank and the monas-
tery’s father superior participated in the trial at Dvin to decide the fate
of the precious relic. By this date, therefore, Plindzahank belonged to
Ivane and was Chalcedonian. By then it was more than likely to already
possess its wall paintings since such frescoes with Greek and Georgian
inscriptions were regarded in 13lll-century Armenia as an essential dis-
tinguishing feature of a Chalcedonian church. It should also be noted
that the Akhtala church was built to have wall paintings: the interior
stonework was not only left unfaced but also given a rough finish to
enable plaster to adhere better.
The date of Ivane’s conversion to the Chalcedonian Creed would
help us to be still more precise in determining exactly when the fres-
coes were painted. From Kuirakos’ text it is clear that he was already
a Chalcedonian in 120594 but we cannot be more exact. The Georgian
inscription at Tejaruik, Muradian believes, can be dated to 1196-99 and
therefore places Ivane’s conversion at the very end of the 12th centu-
ry95. S.A. Meskhia concludes that this event
occurred с. 120 096. So sometime between 1196
and 1205 Ivane Mkhargrdzeli went over to the
Chalcedonian Creed.
In our view, however, the historical sources
enable us to establish a more precise date for