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The mosaic heritage | The New Testament |
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The same iconographic theme of the presbytery is repeated on the walls
of the nave: ten mosaics set in precious marbles, splendid 13th century
creations. On the right wall the "pinakes" portray the Virgin
and on the left Christ Emanuel, surrounded respectively by four
prophets. If the linearity and thrust of the individual figures
are still lacking there is a new aspect in the plastic significance
taken on by the individual personages due precisely to the line and
draping of their clothes which instead of dematerialising their volumes
actually exploit them.
A logical and liturgical succession is seen in the Epiphany cycle
on the arch above the iconostasis, functioning as a link between
the presbytery and the central Ascension dome.
Here prophecies begin to come true with scenes illustrating the Angel's
Annunciation to Mary, the Adoration of the Magi. The Presentation
at the Temple, the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan and
the Transfiguration. These mosaics were redone to cartoons by
Jacopo Tintoretto at the end of the 16th century. There
is another mediaeval version of the Baptism of Jesus in the baptistery,
reminiscent of the great richness of Byzantine icon modules .
The Transepts
On the walls and vaults of the two transepts there are
numerous images of Christ's actions in comforting the sick, the suffering
and sinners.
The gospel stories of Christ regarding the Sundays after Epiphany are
more or less complete in the mosaics at the two sides of the
north transept: The Marriage in Cana, The Profaners of the
Temple, The Ten Lepers, Christ and the Adulteress, The Storm Calmed,
The Lame Man Healed at the Sacrificial Pool, The Centurion Before Christ,
The Woman Touching the Hem of His Garment, The Healing of the Dropsical
Man, The Healing of the Leper, The Miraculous Catch of Fish in the Lake
of Genezareth, The Resurrection of Nain's Widow's Son, Christ and the
Canaanite Woman. On the sides of the south (or left) transept,
there are the Multiplying of the Loaves, Christ and the Samaritan
Woman at the Well, Christ Healing the Man Blind from Birth, Christ and
Zaccheus, Christ Healing the Lame Man on his Bed, St. Peter Walking
on the Water, The Second Multiplying of the Loaves, Christ Healing Peter's
Mother-in-Law, Christ Transferring Demons to the Gadarene Swine, Christ
Healing the Hunchbacked Woman.
Many of these scenes were redone in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Continuing to the central cupola there are the concluding
events of the life of Christ with the rites of Holy Week on the
south vault: the Temptations of Christ, the Entry into Jerusalem,
the Last Supper (mosaics dating to the first half of the 12th century
and among the best preserved) and the Washing of Feet. On the
west vault there are Judas' Kiss and the Verdict of Pilate, the Crucifixion,
the Women at the Sepulchre, the Descent into Limbo, the Meeting with
the Women and the Meeting with Thomas.
On the wall of the right aisle there is a great panel of the
Prayer in the Garden of Olives. It is a 13th century addition
and one of the masterpieces of the entire mosaic complex. The hands
of three masters are recognisable. To each is attributed one of the
three scenes, dominated by a rocky landscape featuring flowers and trees
of extraordinary beauty, narrating Christ's painful and solitary prayer
while the indifference of his friends is expressed in the sleeping group
to the left.
The Ascension Cupola
and its vaults |
The
Ascension Cupola
In the centre of the basilica, at the intersection with the transept,
the dome celebrates the concluding mystery of the life of
Jesus: his Ascension to heaven.
The decoration of the Ascension cupola, dating to the second
half of the 12th century, is the mosaic masterpiece of St.
Mark's and the heart of the church's spiritual message. It is considered
to be the best mosaic expression in the whole church for structure,
quality and preservation.
In the starry circle of the centre Christ, seated on a rainbow,
is drawn heavenwards by four flying angels. Below, in a great
concentric circle, the Virgin between two angels and
the 12 apostles are gazing upwards, alternated by plants
of various forms and sizes, suggesting the messianic environment
of the mount of olives where Luke situates the episode of the Ascension.
Farther below, between the windows, there are sixteen female
figures in a dancing sequence personifying the Virtues
and Beatitudes: Hope, Faith, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance,
Prudence, Humility, Gentleness, Contrition, Abstinence, Mercy, Patience,
Chastity, Modesty, Constancy and Charity, this last crowned and
in royal garments, "mother of all the virtues" as suggested by the
inscription surrounding her.
Here we have the three theological virtues (Faith, Hope and
Charity), the four moral virtues (Prudence, Justice, Fortitude
and Temperance) and then another nine virtues that are an
integral part, in accordance with the mediaeval concept, of the
four moral virtues. If the Ascension scene has an illustrious Byzantine
precedent in the cupola of St. Sophia's in Salonika (11th century)
the setting of the sixteen Virtues is absolutely Venetian. |
On the spandrels the four Evangelists are writing the beginning
of their Gospels: each one is schematised from the side in his study and
the four symbols already seen in the presbytery cupola spandrels are lacking.
The two cupolas are correlated inasmuch as in the presbytery the Evangelists
merely outline salvation whereas in the Ascension cupola it is openly
manifested. Each Evangelist holds his own Gospel open at the first words.
Beneath, the four biblical rivers - Gihon, Pison,
Tigris, Euphrates - pour their waters on the community of
the faithful, here too with clear baptismal symbology.
The Greek master who, with his assistants, created this cycle has been
defined as the "agitato style" master. There could be no more suitable
definition of this mosaicist who, in the creation of these scenes of the
Death, Resurrection and Ascent, expresses all the dramatic tension and
renewal of humanity and the universe. He manipulates the line in a myriad
of curves that delineate the faces and create highly complicated folds
that wind in broad spirals, spreading out into elegant fan-shaped drapery
and extending in an extremely harmonious fluttering that recalls Hellenic
solutions.
The colours used are the most precious, all obtained by mixing the vitreous
paste with lapis lazuli, copper, gold, silver or iron; and when the chromatic
element and the luminosity of the enamels were not enough to render immaterial
and transfigure an image, highlighting was carried out with gold, silver
and whites. While the human faces of the apostles are highlighted in black,
those of Christ, the Virgin and the angels have bright highlighting that
gives the impression of a divine light emanating from the faces themselves.
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