Post-Byzantine Period of Last Judgment Scenes in Trabzon Vazelon, Kaymaklı and Sümela Monasteries
A. Nazlı SoykanThe territory of the Trabzon Greek Empire, founded in 1204, was inhabited by many different peoples for centuries. Construction activities also increased with the new political organisation in Trabzon in the 13th century. During this period, either new churches were built, or additions were made to existing structures. The fact that the region is sheltered and suitable for seclusion, the monasteries developed effectively. There are six known monasteries in Trabzon: Sümela Monastery, Vazelon Monastery, Kuştul Monastery, Kaymaklı Monastery, Girls (Panagia Theokephastros) Monastery and Girls (Panagia Keramesta) Monastery. While some of these six monasteries have survived to the present day in good condition, others are almost extinct. One of the standard features of the monasteries in Trabzon is the continuation of construction activities from the first day they were founded until the day they were abandoned, and another is the choice of themes in the wall paintings.
The subject of the study is the Last Judgment scenes in the monasteries of Trabzon, which are dated back to the PostByzantine Period. As a result of the research conducted in this context, it was understood that this scene was depicted in Sümela, Kaymaklı and Vazelon Monasteries among the monasteries in Trabzon. In this study, the Last Judgement scenes in the three monasteries were analysed in detail, their drawings were made, and they were discussed comparatively with similar examples both in and outside the region.
Trabzon Vazelon, Kaymaklı ve Sümela Manastırları’ndaki Post-Bizans Dönemi Son Mahkeme Sahneleri
A. Nazlı Soykan1204 yılında kurulan Trabzon Rum İmparatorluğu topraklarında yüzyıllar boyunca birçok farklı halk yaşamıştır. Trabzon’da 13. yüzyılda gerçekleşen yeni siyasi yapılanmayla birlikte inşa faaliyetlerinin de arttığı görülmektedir. Bu dönemde ya yeni kiliseler inşa edilmiş ya da var olan yapılara eklemeler yapılmıştır. Bölgenin korunaklı olması ve inzivaya elverişli olması ise manastırların gelişiminde etkili olmuştur. Trabzon’da bilinen altı manastır bulunmaktadır: Sümela Manastırı, Vazelon Manastırı, Kuştul Manastırı, Kaymaklı Manastırı, Kızlar (Panagia Theokephastros) Manastırı ve Kızlar (Panagia Keramesta) Manastırı. Günümüze bu altı manastırdan kimisi iyi durumda gelebilmişken kimisi de neredeyse yok olmakla karşı karşıyadır. Trabzon’daki manastırların ortak özelliklerinden biri kuruldukları ilk günden terk edildikleri güne kadar inşa faaliyetlerinin sürmesi bir diğeri ise duvar resimlerindeki tema seçimleridir.
Çalışmanın konusu Trabzon manastırlarındaki Post-Bizans Dönemi’ne tarihlendirilen Son Mahkeme sahneleri oluşturmaktadır. Bu bağlamda yapılan araştırmalar sonucunda Trabzon’daki manastırlar arasında Sümela, Kaymaklı ve Vazelon Manastırlarında bu sahnenin tasvir edildiği anlaşılmıştır. Araştırmada üç manastırdaki Son Mahkeme sahneleri detaylı olarak incelenmiş, çizimleri yapılmış hem bölge içinde hem de bölge dışındaki benzer örnekleriyle birlikte karşılaştırmalı olarak ele alınmıştır.
Many sources have influenced the iconographic development of the Last Judgment scene, pronounced Ημέρα της κρίσης (Imera tis krisis) in Greek. The Gospels and Apocryphal texts find the belief that the second visit of Jesus will bring about the end of the world and victory over the Devil.
The iconographic development of the apocalyptic scene and the organisation of the compositional elements in the scene developed over time in Byzantine art. Although the choice of subject matter varies occasionally, Byzantine art has a clear hierarchical organisation. The traditional scheme of the Apocalypse in Byzantine art consists of a single surface and a hierarchical arrangement of themes from top to bottom.
The earliest known scenes of the Apocalypse come from the Gospel of Matthew. A fragment of a 4th-century sarcophagus in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York depicts Jesus with a sheep on his right and a goat on his left. A similar narrative in the Church of San Apollinare in Nuova in Ravenna dates back to the 6th century.
Traditional Byzantine Apocalyptic scenes were formed by the juxtaposition of themes over time. Researchers note that the earliest example of a traditional Apocalyptic scene is found in the narthex of the Church of Hagios Stephanos in Kastoria, dating back to the 9th century. The mandorla in the scene depicts Jesus, the Judgement Apostles, angels, the Weighing of Souls and the Devil. The apocalyptic scene is found mainly in churches dating back to the 9th, 10th and 13th centuries in the Cappadocia region. It took time for the apocalyptic scene to reach its characteristic theme and the compositional order that emerged with the creation of the iconographic programme. The 11th and 12th century Gospel folio, now in the National Library of France, reflects the Byzantine hierarchy of the Last Judgement. Another example that fits the general theme is the 11th or 12th century Apocalyptic scene in the Church of Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello in Venice. Hanging on the west wall, the scene is depicted with the Anastasis and is separated by bands.
In the Byzantine tradition, Apocalyptic scenes were placed on the west wall. When the Apocalyptic scenes in Sümela, Kaymaklı and Vazelon Monasteries are analysed, it is seen that the scenes are not mounted in certain parts of the buildings. For example, in the Catholicon of Sümela Monastery and Vazelon Monastery, the scene is depicted on the facades of the buildings. At the same time, the western wall is preferred in the Catholicon of Kaymaklı Monastery. Although figurative depictions on the facades of churches are not very common in Anatolia, examples of the practice can be found in Europe, especially in the Balkans. In Byzantine architecture, it is observed that figurative depictions were made on the facades starting from the 10th century and continued in the 11th and 12th centuries. The stucco remains on the west facade of the Catholicon of the Hosios Loukas Monastery in Greece, and the figurative depictions on the west facade of the St. Georgios Church in Kurbinovo and the Holy Anargyroi Church in Kastoria are among the Balkan examples. However, the western facade of the Voronet Monastery in Suceava, which has figurative decorations on all its facades, has a scene of the Apocalypse.
The paintings have many features in common in all the selected monasteries. For example, in the Apocalyptic Composition dating back to the 19th century in the catholicon of the Vazelon Monastery, the figures are portrayed with thin, long fingers and dark skin tones. Instead of flamboyant and idealised depictions, realistic depictions in a naturalistic style are preferred. Some of the figures, especially the angels, have prominent body lines. The emotions in the gestures and mimics of the figures, which have survived to the present day despite being destroyed, are reflected to the viewer. Pastel tones were preferred in the clothes of the figures. Next, in the Apocalypse composition dated 1622 in the catholicon of Kaymaklı Monastery, the use of brown, red, blue, yellow, and especially pink colours come to the fore. The figures here are also depicted in a realistic style without being idealised. It is seen that the body lines of the figures are prominent, too. The figures in the last apocalyptic scene of Sümela Monastery, which dates back to the 18th century, are depicted in a realistic style without being idealised, as well. The figures are again depicted as thin, tall and with dark skin tones, and brown and brown tones are preferred. Therefore, it can be concluded that they have many features in common.
The placement and distribution of the themes in the Apocalypse scenes follow the traditional Byzantine scheme. In the Catholicons of the Vazelon and Kaymaklı Monasteries, almost all of the themes in the traditional Apocalypse scene are used. In contrast, in Sümela Monastery, only the depictions in the upper parts were evaluated due to the destruction of the scene. For this reason, the theme preferences in the third line of the scene cannot be fully understood.
In conclusion, it is understood that the Apocalypse scenes in Trabzon monasteries dating to the post-Byzantine period largely conform to the traditional Apocalypse scene scheme in Byzantine painting. However, the depiction of Apocalyptic scenes on the facades of the analysed buildings is also remarkable. The fact that the tradition of figurative depictions on facades, which has examples in the Balkans, is not preferred in Anatolia once again reveals the importance of the analysed buildings.
