Poreč, Cathedral of Eufrasius, mosaic, triumphal arch, center, Christ and apostles above, medallions of virgin saints on intrados
The mosaic of Christ and the apostles on the triumphal arch was hidden by a later ceiling until 1890 (Terry and Maguire [2007], pp. 51-54). Photographs taken when the mosaics were uncovered (reproduced in Terry and Maguire [2007], vol. 2, pp. 155-58) show extensive damage. In fact, the restorers used an undulating red line in the golden mosaic background to indicate – unobtrusively – that everything below that line had been entirely lost and had to be restored conjecturally. The globe on which Christ sits is the restorers’ invention and Christ’s face was modelled on the face of Christ in the sixth-century mosaic in the apse of San Vitale, Ravenna. Terry and Maguire have provided iconographical parallels and historical arguments to suggest that the mosaic more likely presented Christ as an older, bearded man, emphasizing his divinity, as a complement to his appearance as a child in the apse and the inclusion of scenes related to the Incarnation (the Annunciation and the Visitation) there. Such a program would be consistent with the Istrian bishops’ adherence to the pronouncements of the Council of Chalcedon (451) concerning the two natures of Jesus. In the intrados, the lamb of God (Agnus Dei) is entirely the work of the restoration of the 1890s. Earlier texts and drawings refer to a portrait of Christ or the monogram of Christ (the Chrismon) represented there, but these may also have been the work of earlier restorers (Terry and Maguire [2007], pp. 14-16, 21); one “anomaly”, however, is original: the distinctive handling of St. Agatha’s pearled collar (Terry and Maguire [2007], p. 45). Cited sources: Terry, Ann and Henry Maguire. Dynamic Splendor: The Wall Mosaics in the Cathedral of Eufrasius at Poreč. Univ. Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State UP, 2007. D'Emilio photo archive no. 19773717_1279uGalleries:Apostles as a group, Cathedral of Eufrasius, Poreč, Croatia, Italy and the Adriatic, 500s, Mosaic, St. Agatha of Catania, virgin and martyr, St. Agnes, virgin and martyr, St. Andrew, apostle, St. Bartholomew, apostle, St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr, St. James the Greater, apostle, St. John, apostle and evangelist, St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist, St. Paul, St. Peter, apostle, St. Philip, apostle, St. Thecla, virgin and martyrKeywords:globe, martyrs, restoration, wreath-crownPhoto Location: Poreč, CroatiaPhotographer: Dr. James D’EmilioDevice Make: NikonDevice Model: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 EDOriginal Dimensions: 5254×3594Picture Orientation: LandscapeGPS Coordinates:Picture Number: 22240
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