Page 53 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 12(2) (2024)

details characteristic of 14th-century Eastern tual circumstances. This artistic choice under-
Christian iconography. According to M. Mark- scores the sacredness of the moment, as Mary is
ović, ‘an explanation can be found in the pri- fully aware that she has given birth to the Messi-
mary textual sources (Lk 2:4–19; cf. Mt 1:25 ah. Every element in the painting has a sensory
and Lk 2:9–11), as the Dečani painters, just like dimension, from the warmth of the bath to the
their predecessors, had in mind numerous po- angelic hymn, all designed to evoke an emotion-
etic, homiletic, and apocryphal works inspired al response from the viewer, marking the begin-
by the Christmas festival’ (Marković 1995, 108). ning of a profound emotional narrative. Christ
The scene itself is “constructed” to be abundant is depicted as an ordinary child in one sense, be-
in sensory experiences, immersing the viewer in ing prepared for a warm bath and cradled in his
a very dynamic depiction (fig. 4a). At the cen- mother’s arms, a scene that does not differ from
tre of the composition is the figure of the Vir- any other child. Yet, the upper part of the image
gin Mary in the cave, with both arms around the emphasizes his divine nature. This duality is cap- 53
baby Christ, who is lying in the manger. Christ tured in a vertical composition: from the birth/
is wrapped in a cloth, and the Virgin Mary has earthly realm, through the fulfilment of the Law
protectively placed her hands on him while her and the Prophets represented by Mary, to the
gaze meets the eyes of the three Magi positioned heavenly realm of God, symbolized by the angels
to the left of the manger, richly dressed and hold- in glorification. The intricate composition in-
ing gifts. These intimate touches visually en- vites the viewer to consider both the human and
hance the bond between mother and son on the divine aspects of Christ’s birth, creating a layered
fresco, conveying sensory and emotional depth and immersive visual narrative beyond a mere de-
that viewers can relate to (fig. 4b). Above the in- piction of an event, offering a theological reflec-
fant Christ are the figures of the ox and don- tion through art. Thus, the fresco tells the sto-
key, who ‘warm’ him with their breath (Mark- ry of Christ’s nativity and engages the senses and
ović 1995, 108). A beam of light descends from emotions, drawing the observer into a deeper
the segment of the sky down to Christ, rendered contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnation.
in the distinctive painting style of the Dečani
artists. In the lower part of the scene, two fe- The Baptism of Christ
male figures are preparing a bath for the infant As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up Analysis of the Sense Perception in the Fresco Painting of the Dečani Monastery
Christ: one on the left is pouring water from a
jug and holding the cloth in which Christ will out of the water. At that moment heaven
was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God
later be wrapped, while the other holds Christ descending like a dove and alighting on
and checks the water temperature with her hand. him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is
The sceptical Joseph sits in the lower right
part of the image, observing the event. Above the my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased’ [Mt 3:16–17].
Virgin and Christ, a highly dynamic scene un-
folds, with angels at the top of the rocky ledge The composition of the Baptism primar-
praising the birth and delivering the good news ily relies on traditional representations where
to the shepherds. The depiction is vividly ren- multiple sensory elements are present. The cen-
dered to offer a rich sensory experience. In in- tral figure is Christ standing in the Jordan Riv-
terpreting the Birth of Christ, the rich, symbolic er, depicted schematically yet plastic. John the
use of colour dominates, particularly in depict- Baptist, positioned on the left side of the com-
ing the fabrics worn by Mary. These garments position, stands on a rock with his right hand on
are illustrated as luxurious and of exceptional Christ’s head, while his left hand is raised with
quality, symbolizing the occasion’s solemnity de- an open palm and gaze directed towards heav-
spite such luxury being unattainable in the ac- en (fig. 5). Although, according to Matthew’s