Illuminated

Manuscripts

   At present over 20,000 Armenian manuscripts, rescued from fires, destruction, and sometimes negligent monks, are mainly kept in public libraries, religious libraries, and in private collections.
Generally commissioned, manuscripts were written and illustrated in monasteries, and sometimes in parishes. Copy and painting could be executed by the same monk, but more often miniaturists and scribes worked independently on a same manuscript. Moreover, many painters were freelance, and traveled from one monastery to another according to demand.
    Most of the illuminated manuscripts were Gospels, which means that the imagery is centered around the life of Christ, mainly the important feasts and miracles. There are few Old Testaments, apocryphas and Apocalypses. Illustrated manuscripts of a secular nature (scientific or legendary) are very rare.
    If there are traces of foreign influences, especially Byzantine and to a lesser degree Italian in the iconography and style, the latter has lasted better and lent Armenian illuminations their most original trait.
Gospel from Echmiadzin, 6th century
  Only four illuminations from the famous gospel of Echmiadzin have survived from this period (7th century). The subjects: the Annunciation to Mary, the Annunciation to Zacharias, the Adoration of the Kings, and the Baptism of Christ, belong to the paleo-Christian repertory.
The Raising of Lazarus, 11the century
Christ in Glory, 10th century
  During the Age of the Kingdoms (9th-12th century) the art of illuminated manuscripts began to develop in two different ways: scholarly paintings, often called prestige paintings, and popular paintings, often called minor works. The first genre were "aristocratic" pictures commissioned by important personalities from talented artists, and these bear the mark of a scholarly tradition open to outside influences. The other pictures emanated essentially from local monastic environments, and more often bear regional peculiarities. Communities from Sebast (Sivas), and the Meliten (Malatya) areas had, however, introduced a Byzantine influence into 11th century Armenia.
Concordance Table, 10th century Virgin Ttheotokos,10th century Gospel from Suxr Xandara, 11 century Unidentified Gospel, 13th century Gospel by Toros of Taron, 14th century Gospel of Ignatios, 13th century Gospel of Xoronashat, 13th century
Unidentified Gospel, 13th century
Gospel by Toros of Taron, 14th century
  The art of illumination in Greater Armenia, during the Age of Feudal States (12th-15th century), is generally characterized by the independence of every artist. There are two different styles: one is popular, with basic, linear drawings, the other is sophisticated and realistic, revealing Cilician influence. It is also worth noting that less manuscripts were produced in free Ayrarat, the traditional center of Armenian culture, than in surrounding provinces, even under Muslim domination. The major scriptoria were set up in the areas of Ani, the Artsakh and in Siunia.
Gospel by the painter Karapet of Aghtamar, 15th century Gospel by the painter Karapet of Aghtamar, 15th century The tree of Jesse Gospel of Queen Mariam by the painter Sarkis Picak, 14th century Gospel by the painter Nahapet of Surb Gamaghel, 14th century Bible from Bologna, Italy, completed in Crimea, 14th century Gospel by Grigor of Tatev, 14th century
Gospel by the painter Simeon of Arjesh, 14th century
Gospel by the painter Minas, 15th century
Gospel by the painter Daniel of Urants, 15th century
  There was a wealth of illuminations in south western Armenia from 12th to the 15th century, especially from the scriptoria of Upper Armenia and Vaspurakan.
  The monastery at Awagvank sheltered the major scriptorium of Upper Armenia, from which two manuscripts have survived: a Gospel dated 1201, and the famous so-called Mush Homiliary, copied in 1202.
One thousand five hundred manuscripts illuminated in Vasapurakan between the 13th and the 17th century are extant, and such an extraordinary production is a subject of wonder. They were produced in numerous modest hermitages isolated along the shores of Lake Van or in remote areas of the valley of the Taurus.
  The manuscripts are of uneven quality, but they share common characteristics: they are on paper, and the pictures are together at the beginning of the books, before the concordance tables.
Gospel of Queen Keran, 13th century
Ritual by the painter Toros Roslin, 13th century
So-called Gospel of malatya, by Toros Roslin, 13th century
  The 11th century art of illuminations in Greater Armenia was at the roots of Cilician illuminations, into which a series of innovations was introduced during the 12th century, heralding the major works of the following centuries. Books were small, easy to handle, with rich decorations and pictures facing the texts they illustrated. Bibles, lectionaries and psalms were added to the traditional Gospels. The technique became more detailed and precise, colors were more beautiful, but also more expensive (gold, lapis-lazuli for blue).
  A real school was formed at the religious capital of Hromkla, (1250-1270), which was faithful to earlier formulas: hieratic postures for the figures, contrasting coloring and a Byzantine iconography.
From 1280, a more emotional style gained ground, inspiring painters, who now dramatized scenes from the life of Christ with emotional postures, exalt or suffering faces, and unreal backgrounds. These expressioninistic and fantastic work belong to the school called "Armenian Baroque."
Unidentified Gospel from Cilicia?, 14th century Lives of the deserrt hermits by Tadevos Awraments, 15th century Gospel by Vardan of Baghezh, 16th century Gospel by Vardan of Baghezh, 16th century Bible from New Julfa, 17th century Bible from New Julfa, 17th century Gospel from Crimea, 17th century
The Romance of Alexander, 16th century
The Romance of Alexander, 16th century
  In modern times, in Vaspurakan, the school of Xizan continued to produce works of uneven quality under the supervision of Sargis the Elderl. He had two talented pupils: Khachatur II of Xizan, who illustrated, among other works, a Menologue dated 1591, copied from a Gospel of Queen Keran, and Kirakos. Some progane scenes were painted in the 16th century in Vaspurakan, notable in the monastery at Varag, such as the Life of Alexander, painted by Grigoris, Patriarch of Aghtamar.
  There were a few scriptoria outside Vaspurakan, for example at Keghi, where Yakob of Julfa painted Gospels dated 1585, and Movses illustrated a Gospel dated 1588, in a very Italianate style.
The Bible of De Bry, 17th century
The Bible of De Bry, 17th century
  Armenian migration, which began at the end of the 11th century, continued to increase to the point of forming communities that were important in numbers, wealth and its taste for religious and artistic works. Armenians settled in the kingdom of Poland in the Middle Ages bringing their art of illumination with them.
  The scriptorium of Lwow was particularly active in the 17th century: Ghazar Baberdatsi worked there a notably produced a Bible dated 1619, taken from the engraved Jan Theodor de Bry the Younger, who had produced a Bible published in Mainz in 1609. In turn, the work of Ghazar Baberdatsi was copied several times.