آیا صوفیه و تجربه زیبایی‌شناختی بیزانسی

Paramount in the shaping of early Byzantine identity was the construction of the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (532-537 CE). This book examines the edifice from the perspective of aesthetics to define the concept of beauty and the meaning of art in early Byzantium. Paramount in the shaping of early Byzantine identity was the construction of the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (532-537 CE). This book examines the edifice from the perspective of aesthetics to define the concept of beauty and the meaning of art in early Byzantium. Byzantine aesthetic thought is re-evaluated against late antique Neoplatonism and the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius that offer fundamental paradigms for the late antique attitude towards art and beauty. These metaphysical concepts of aesthetics are ultimately grounded in experiences of sensation and perception, and reflect the ways in which the world and reality were perceived and grasped, signifying the cultural identity of early Byzantium. There are different types of aesthetic data, those present in the aesthetic object and those found in aesthetic responses to the object. This study looks at the aesthetic data embodied in the sixth-century architectural structure and interior decoration of Hagia Sophia as well as in literary responses (ekphrasis) to the building. The purpose of the Byzantine ekphrasis was to convey by verbal means the same effects that the artefact itself would have caused. A literary analysis of these rhetorical descriptions recaptures the Byzantine perception and expectations, and at the same time reveals the cognitive processes triggered by the Great Church. The central aesthetic feature that emerges from sixth-century ekphraseis of Hagia Sophia is that of light. Light is described as the decisive element in the experience of the sacred space and light is simultaneously associated with the notion of wisdom. It is argued that the concepts of light and wisdom are interwoven programmatic elements that underlie the unique architecture and non-figurative decoration of Hagia Sophia. A similar concern for the phenomenon of light and its epistemological dimension is reflected in other contemporary monuments, testifying to the pervasiveness of these aesthetic values in early Byzantium Cover 1 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 8 Acknowledgements 12 List of Abbreviations 14 Introduction: Byzantine Aesthetics 16 1 Viewing Hagia Sophia through Sixth-Century Eyes 28 Visualising Hagia Sophia through the Agency of Light 31 Making Listeners into Spectators – The Concept of Enargeia 42 Phantasia and the Perception of the Divine 47 ‘A Sanctuary of Wisdom’ 52 Conclusion 55 2 Animation and Illumination of Hagia Sophia’s Architectural Structure 58 Constructing a Sacred Space 62 The Spatial Impression 66 A Canopy of Heaven 71 Natural Light as Formative Principle 77 Some Nocturnal Sun 85 Tradition and Innovation 90 Conclusion 110 3 Clad in a Luminous Membrane: The Interior Decoration of Hagia Sophia 112 Blossoming Marble Meadows 114 The Mosaic Decoration 124 4 Building a House of Wisdom – A Question of Meaning 166 Crosses and Jewels 168 Colour and the Byzantine Brain 178 Pictorial Tradition and the Language of Communication 185 Aesthetic of Light and Colour 207 5 Hagia Sophia and the Concept of Beauty in the Sixth Century 210 Pseudo-Dionysius 212 Beauty, Light and Being 216 Beauty, Light and Wisdom (Episteme) 223 Beauty, Light and Darkness 230 Aesthetics of Light – A Tentative Conclusion 233 6 The Function of Art in the Sixth Century 238 Mimesis and the Symbol 241 The Symbol and Anagoge 244 The Artist as Demiurge and the Highest Form of Art 251 Art and Symbolism in the Early Christian Tradition 254 A Metaphysical Aesthetic of Light and the Church of Hagia Sophia 262 7 Hagia Sophia – Embodiment of an Early Byzantine Aesthetic 266 Appendix: The Marbles Found in the Interior Decoration of Hagia Sophia 280 Bibliography 284 Index 314 Viewing Hagia Sophia Through Sixth-century Eyes -- Animation And Illumination Of Hagia Sophia's Architectural Structure -- Clad In A Luminous Membrane: The Interior Decoration Of Hagia Sophia -- Building A House Of Wisdom: A Question Of Meaning -- Hagia Sophia And The Concept Of Beauty In The Sixth Century -- The Function Of Art In The Sixth Century -- Hagia Sophia: Embodiment Of An Early Byzantine Aesthetic -- Appendix: The Marbles Found In The Interior Decoration Of Hagia Sophia. Nadine Schibille. This Book Has Its Origin In My Doctoral Dissertation 'light In Early Byzantium : The Church Of Hagia Sophia In Constantinople' (university Of Sussex, 2004).--page Xi. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 245-273) And Index.