This paper offers a presentation and interpretation of Serbian architecture between 1918 and 1941, whose creative span ranged between artistic-aesthetic and political-ideological utopias. Within this ...space numerous individual creators acted, authors of epochal achievements, as well as those creative forces that found their affirmation in social collectivism in the interwar architecture. The specific artistic character of this architecture was founded on striking stylistic contrasts, on its social function and on ideological factors, which formed the basis for an authentic cultural and artistic profile of Serbian interwar architecture. The aesthetic approach is based on the value parameters, spiritual constants, and social role of architecture, as its most characteristic features. Although disparate in both content and quality, Serbian interwar architecture reflects a unique and distinctive identity. Its varied characteristics were composed into the complex picture offered by the interwar architecture, as a credible indicator combining the prevailing features of Serbian interwar society, the builder’s attitudes as well as tastes of the commissioners. The importance of interwar architecture derived from the process of character interpretation, which constructed the visual identity of interwar architecture through the mechanisms of art and culture.
The painted biography of the patron saint of the church of St. Demetrius in the complex of the Patriarchate of Peć is preserved in the middle zone of the nave. Following the northern wall, with ...episodes inspired by the texts of the Passion of Saint Demetrius, the cycle continues on the south wall, where two of the former four representations remain, namely: The Dormition of Demetrius and Saint Demetrius Saves Thessaloniki from the Enemy. Both scenes have been partially damaged, with the lower parts painted over during the restoration in the second decade of the 17th century. The Dormition of Saint Demetrius. The Dormition of Saint Demetrius is painted in the southeast corner of the nave. The beginning of the legend is legible. Two more compositions with the same iconography have been preserved. One is a miniature in the Menologion in Oxford (MS. Gr. th. f. 1, fol. 55) (c. 1330–35), and the other is a severely damaged fresco in King Marko’s Monastery (1376/77, the Republic of North Macedonia). The iconographic scheme of the service over the body of the deceased is well known in medieval art. Since the Passio texts describe Demetrius’ martyrdom, scholars have questioned the source and meaning of the scene. At first, they thought that it illustrated Bishop Eusebius praying before the relics of St. Demetriusto save Thessaloniki from the Enemy, according to the description from the 14th homily of the First Book of Miracula. Later, the assumption was made, accepted to this day, that it was the death/entombment of the saint. The textual prototype was found in the sticheron of the patriarch Germanus on the celebration day of Saint Demetrius, from where this theme entered the iconography. Recently, the scene was interpreted as a liturgical ceremony over the saint’s tomb in the Thessaloniki church.Knowing the circumstances in which it was created could contribute to a better understanding of the topic. The representation of the dead Demetrius is associated with the reform of the cult after the appearance of the myron, at the beginning of the 11th century at the latest. This is evidenced by reliquaries and enkolpia for myron and/or blood of the saint (11th/12th–14th centuries), which copy the appearance of a myron-gushing tomb. They are characterized by a double lid with superimposed figures of Saint Demetrius. On the outer cover Demetrius is in the orante pose –which has been interpreted as a sarcophagus, while the inside shows a dead saint – that is, a representation ofthe saint’s myron-exuding body relic. The myron-gushing tomb received its equivalent in painting, as well, sublimated through the representation of the tomb with the reclining figure of Demetrius in the orante pose. Two paintings are known, both of which are sometimes erroneously cited among scholarsand preserved in Serbian art as the Entombment of Saint Demetrius (in the southern chapel of the Church of Our Lady of Ljeviš, 1309–13, in Kosovo and Metohija, and, as part of the scene The vision of angels of an illustrious and Demetrius’ refusal to abandon Thessaloniki, 1335–48 in Dečani, Kosovo and Metohija). Along with this theme, the iconography of the service over Demetrius’ relics was also formed. At this time, a legend appeared that, by order of Emperor Maximian, Demetrius’ body was thrown into a well under the Thessaloniki Basilica, connected to the crypt or “lower church”. Perhaps the changed cult brought more novelties, which could have influenced the appearance of new iconography, yet this question still remains open to debate. The service over the saint’s body is officiated by archbishops surrounded by singers, led by a choirmaster and a young kanonarchos, all distinguished by headpieces known as skaranikon. The rest of the entourage were identified as believers or Christians who buried the saint, that is, young noblemen, but in fact they were members of minor order. The building in the background is most often identified as the famous ciborium from the Thessaloniki Basilica, which was a cult centre during the early Christian period. Although the fresco in Peć is unique compared to the other preserved representations, in which the tomb is shown with an open ciborium-baldachin, they are also considered to convey a realistic image of a contemporary tomb. This testifies to the impossibility of reaching a reliable conclusion about the closeness of the painted and real construction, where at the time of the creation of the fresco, the centre of the cult was no longer a ciborium, but a myron-gushing tomb. Saint Demetrius Saves Thessaloniki from the Enemy. The last preserved fresco, from whose inscription the name of Demetrius can be read, illustrates the miracle of the defense of Thessaloniki against the enemy. The event is described in the 14th homily of the First Book of Miracula. The majority of researchers have accepted the opinion that homilies 13–15 describe the attack of the army of Avars and Slavs on Thessaloniki that took place in 586, although a similar event in 597 cannot be ruled out. The iconographic scheme of the fresco in Peć comes right after the text. In the cycles of the Middle Ages, only two more compositions with Demetrius saving Thessaloniki from the enemy have been preserved. In terms of concept, and despite the differences in the processing of details, the fresco in Peć is close to the depiction in Dečani (1335–48). In previous research, the inscription on the fresco in Dečani attracted more attention than the iconography, with the explanation that it was about saving Thessaloniki from the Kumans. This gave scholars a reason for different interpretations of the meaning of the illustration, although it is most likely that it is the very event mentioned in the inscription, for the artistic articulation of which the iconography created according to a much older source was used. The composition on the reliquary in Vatoped, with the enemy’s cavalry under the city walls behind which the saint is using the spear to defeat the barbarian, will not be repeated. Searching for the source is made difficult by the fact that no text was written, hence the opinions of scholars about the meaning of the scene are dissonant, although most believe that it is about the defense of Thessaloniki against the siege of the Avars and the Slavs. The walls within which the sacred building is located represent a long-established ideogram for the city, identified as the place of events – Thessaloniki with the Basilica of Saint Demetrius. The hagiography of Saint Demetrius was painted in the nave of the church of the same name in the Patriarchate of Peć, following the practice that prevailed in the 14th century. So far, it has not been a specific research topic, nor has it been discussed in the context of known cycles. About 13 artistic biographies of saints created at the end of the 13th and in the 14th century in the Byzantine, Serbian and Bulgarian art, along with individual representations of certain themes, have been published by scholars, to varying degrees. Despite the fact that the cycles are mostly incompletely preserved, as well as that part of the frescoes in Peć was partially or completely restored in the second decade of the 17th century, which raises the question of the original iconography, certain conclusions can be drawn about its concept and the iconography of individual scenes. Six out of the former eight scenes remain, according to which the Peć cycle belongs to the longer redaction. Being a complex ensemble, it consists of compositions based on the life of the saint, concentrated on the north wall of the nave of the church, and scenes of miracles on the opposite wall, of which only one remains, along with a composition of a special theme with the representation of the Dormition of St. Demetrius. Hagiographic scenes illustrate the most significant events from the texts of the Passion representing an indispensable part of the cycle. Scenes of miracles were painted less often, so the miraculous saving of Thessaloniki from the enemy is preserved in three cycles only. The theme of help in a specific situation has most likely surpassed its source over time, becoming an allusion to the enemies of Christians, and the proof of the miraculous protection of Demetrius as the holy warrior, not only when it comes to Thessaloniki, but war in general. Hence it is not surprising that it was included in the cycle, for now it can be said with confidence, in the 14th century. Since the legend has not been preserved, the question remains whether there was a deeper motive for illustrating this event in the church in Peć. The scene with the representation of the Dormition of St. Demetrius, and the rarely shown one, known from three medieval cycles, remain of unclear origin, but its source should probably be sought in cult practice of the 14th century. This episode, together with the Passion of St. Demetrius, is prominently placed next to the altar partition, which is why the cycle began in the northwest corner of the nave. The general language of Byzantine iconography was used to shape the compositions. Certain frescoes from Peć show similarities with preserved illustrations of the same outline, but they are mostly unique. Iconographically, St. Demetrius blessing St. Nestor and St. Nestor killing Lyus stand out, bearing the caveat in mind that this is a composition that undoubtedly underwent some changes during the copying process. As a whole, the illustrations from Peć represent a unique accomplishment, the closest analogies of which can be found on the monuments of the 14th century created in the Serbian art. Probably at this time there were certain changes in the cycle, primarily following the cult and way of honouring saints, with a greater tendency towards narration as a general trend in the art of this time. Finally, it is necessary to refer to two more cycles. The first one, in poor condition, was created in the church of Saint Demetrius in the village of
This article focuses on dance scenes present in the margins of medieval religious manuscripts (such as a psalter, a book of hours and a breviary) produced in the Latin Middle Ages between the ...mid-13th and the 15th century. The text discusses selected examples of illuminations, which are analysed with regard to the various semantic contexts of dance (among others, the division of dance into ‘sinful’ and ‘heavenly’ as derived from the biblical tradition). The author focuses on the function of the marginalia and their relationship to the text. She argues that the scenes are parallel to the text and constitute a significant part of the narrative. Imbued with didactic and moralistic values, they offer the reader either an example to follow or a warning. Illuminations enrich the semantic contexts of the manuscript and suggest the ways of reading the text.
In the light of analyses of the grooves that are now legible and photographs taken a few years ago, the architectural graffiti from the Teutonic Knights’ castle in Toruń can be read as a ...representation of a tracery. On the basis of earlier findings regarding the construction phases of the Toruń castle, its topography and spatial layout, an attempt was made to establish the chronology of the architectural graffiti and the function of the building in which it was located. The discovery of relics of architectural details within the upper castle and the finding of some parallels with the church of St James in the New Town of Toruń were undoubtedly crucial in explaining the reasons why the tracery had been sketched on the wall.
This article is an attempt to take a new look at the depictions of animals on the tomb-chest of the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław II Jagiełło; which was executed before ...1431 by a workshop of undetermined provenance. On the basis of written sources and comparative material; it is argued that the uniform iconographic programme; which consists of depictions of a dragon under the king's feet; two lions under the monarch's head; and hounds and falcons on the tomb-chest; refers to the politically important concept of the ruler’s dominion over the natural world.
Everyday life is filled with numerous images of what has passed. All of them, although on different bases, leave a mark in time and thus become legacies of the past. Although we usually understand ...and accept this inherited corpus without a problem, sometimes we face certain inconveniences. For example, we would rather forget the heritage that remind us of colonialism and slavery, civil conflicts, wars, nuclear catastrophes. This paper searches for answers as to why certain contents from the past survive and others disappear, as well as when and why we decide to change their interpretation. Namely, the development of information technologies and new models of communication, in addition to many advantages, has contributed to the development of a perhaps not new, but certainly more striking culture of thinking. Based on condemnation, denial, harsh criticism without the possibility of adequate defence, the cancel culture is present in almost all spheres of everyday life. “Concern” for the culture of memory thus has reached a new level. Although the ban on specific forms of artistic expression has a long history, today we are witnessing the formation of movements that fight by all means for various types of censorship, and interestingly, they are no longer instructed by governing structures, but come from culture, science, and art. Justifying these actions with pedagogical reasons, correcting injustices, and caring for the culture of remembrance, unpleasant and politically incorrect contents are avoided, exhibitions are cancelled, monuments are occupied, modified, destroyed. The contribution of once famous artists and scientists is being revised and challenged. This raises a number of questions. What ideas inspire such iconoclastic actions? Who are the actors involved in these practices? When diversity became a problem, where did the dialogue go? What are the spatial, social and political implications of these transformations? In the circumstances of such rapid social changes and (re)interpretation, it is increasingly difficult to remain calm and objective even in science. The general chase, and sometimes the mass hysteria, help us to easily slip into revisionism. Instead of focusing on the possibilities that different values of the legacies of the past open to us, it seems that we are moving towards the fact that every heritage, sooner or later, will be disputable.
The history of the performance of the part of Philip in the opera “Don Carlos” by G. Verdi knows several vivid examples. Based on audio and video recordings of different years, the authors tried to ...identify the most significant of them by applying the method of comparative analysis. These are interpretations of the role by the Russian singers F. Shaliapin, E. Nesterenko, I. Abdrazakov, also by the Bulgarian basses B. Hristov and N. Ghiaurov.
The purpose of the article. The work aims to identify the conditions and factors of the emergence of the method of "Soviet musicology". The methodology of the study consists of the use of ...historically, gnoseological, functional value, as well as specifically sociologic and generalizing methods of analysis. The scientific novelty consists in ascertaining the essence of the above-mentioned method and its decisive role in the formation of a new branch of the common sciences - music knowledge. It is substantiated that the objective focus of her attention on musical culture for many decades leveled the previous focus of scientists on music as a sound phenomenon. It is motivated that the historical muse of science is recommended to focus on the sociological and ideological dimensions, theoretically - on the practical expediency of knowledge. Conclusions. Analysis of the problem of the method of Soviet musicology revealed the factors of its appearance, the main of which was the policy of "culture" which manifested itself in the general dissemination of available knowledge about musical culture for the formation of a new Soviet man. The harm from the unconditional use of the method manifested in the neglect of essential research of the sciences of music, the loss of the proper level of professionalization of scientific personnel, the emergence of a new type of discourse ("cataloging of data"), the origin of the "scientific and pop of the laurel genre", which displaced its scientific publications, was revealed.
The purpose of the article is to investigate the characteristics of the 12-bar blues within the jazz music. The research methodology is based on the use of methods of analysis (for musicological ...analysis of jazz standards), comparison (for comparative analysis of the characteristics of blues formation and features of jazz music formation) and generalisation (to formulate research conclusions). The scientific novelty of the study is in highlighting the problem of the relationship between the formative principles of blues and jazz music. Conclusions. The musical form «12-bar blues in jazz music», is an unprecedented quintessence of the form-forming features of blues and jazz music. However, despite all the changes that the standard form “12-bar blues” has undergone in jazz music, in all its forms and with the introduction of any elements, it remains a phenomenon of blues formation in jazz music and requires the use of separate terminology for its definition. Thus, we are faced with the full depth of the above musical form, which has the potential for an infinite number of transformations and the introduction of innovative features, the infinite potential of which, in turn, is inherent in jazz music.
Piotr Wierzbicki’s deep interest in Chopin’s music has been revealed in his volumes of essays published since 1993. What appears to make his music writings exceptional in comparison with other Polish ...essays dealing with Chopin’s life and work is the prevailing concentration on particular pieces or even single performances chosen by famous pianists. Wierzbicki develops his project of extradisciplinary essayistic Chopinology that blends together the musicological knowledge, critical involvement, philosophical reflection and highly individual psychosomatic experience. Having stated a fundamental difficulty of ‘translating’ sounds into words, he tries to elaborate a ‘musical’ style and form for his writing, e.g. he includes ekphrases full of metaphors and synesthetic figures. This wide array of music-centred properties encourages readers to treat these essays as a starting point for coming up with the question of whether it is possible to differentiate a type of ‘musical’ essay.
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