Armenian miniature art is one of the most beautiful and unique items in Medieval Christian art. The first samples of this artwork date to the 7th century. The large number of miniature-decorated manuscripts preserved from the 9th to the end of the 12th century from the basis upon which a number of miniature art schools may be distinguished. By the end of the 12th century, after the fall of the Bagratuni and Artsruni dynasties, new schools of miniature art begin to take shape.
The most important of these are those of Cilicia and Vaspurakan. The first lasts 200 years and develops at a number of centers such as Hromkla, Skevra, Drazark, Bardzraberd. The second also developed at a number of locations such as, Akhtamar, Khizan, Van, Berkri and into the 18th century. The illuminated manuscripts of Echmiadzin are essentially of the later period, beginning in the 14th century. For that reason, they may be considered the products not of given schools but those of certain areas with various influences. These influences are mainly three: Cilician, Vaspurakanian, and West European.
There are also manuscripts, such as the Kyutahia Bible,on which Byzantine influence is noticeable. The oldest illuminated manuscript of Echmiadzin is the No 194 Bible written in Adana in 1293. It contains the pictures and name-sheets of the four evangelists. This may be considered a provincial variant of the Cilician school. The definite influence of Cilician miniatures is seen in the manuscripts written in Isfahan in the 17th century. The name-sheets of manuscript No 16 (Sharaknots, dated 1654) have been illuminated by standards worthy of Cilician miniature art (for instance, the peacocks and bird-letters pictured in magnificent Cilician blue).
In comparison with the other schools, Cilician miniature art is distinguished by the very deft representation of a large variety of movements of human forms and the uniqueness of colors where gold, blue, red, and green occupy a special status. There is a group of illustrated manuscripts in the Echmiadzin collection whose miniatures reflect the influence of Gothic art. The group includes two Bibles, Nos. 54 and 462 (Constantinople, 1619). While the motives of the altars in these illuminations attest to their Cilician origins, the depictions of the evangelists and scenes of Christ's life betray a late Gothic influence. The Bible prepared by Grigor Tadevatsi in 1374 occupies a special status among the manuscripts of Echmiadzin. Khachatur Kesaratsi added the miniatures. The master miniaturist has remained faithful to the Cilician style in his depictions of altars and name-sheets. At the end of the manuscript we can find Tadevatsi's rhymed colophon and a poem by Hovhannes Vorotnetsi. In conjunction with these texts the manuscript also displays frontal portraits of Hovhannes Vorotnetsi and Grigor Tadevatsi, represented as saints under the arches. The tradition of portraying contemporaries and historical figures in manuscripts has evolved from the 11th century, beginning with the "Kars Bible". The manuscripts found at the Mother See constitute an important source for the study of Armenian illustrated miniatures.
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