Morava architectural school

The Morava school was the late Byzantine style in medieval Serbia from 1370, which continues the buildings in the Serbian -Byzantine style under the Nemanjic and their successors. The highly experimental style is considered to be original and independent-minded towards the medieval art of Serbia.

The Morava school was influential in northern Serbia from 1370 to 1459, reached as a court art under Lazar Hrebeljanović ( 1370 -1389 ), Stefan Lazarević ( 1402-1427 ) and Đurađ Brankovic ( 1427-1456 ) in architecture, painting and literature, a marked bloom. It is often attributed to the so-called Eastern European Renaissance, which expression is art history not clearly defined, it is also rejected by art historians partially (see Section Analogical Renaissance ).

At the origin of the Morava school, the fusion of different cultural influences is crucial to recognize the decorative ornamentation of the buildings. For ideas came from both the west (relief ) and the Orient ( ornamentation ). However, the Byzantine art remained substantial basis for the style of education.

Even into the 17th century numerous churches were built in the Morava style in Fruska Gora in Srem. Only with the Great Turkish War displaced the introduced by the Empire of Austria Baroque style this in the Serbian church architecture.

Origins

The Morava school arises from the building traditions of the Nemanjic of early Serbian Empire. The in the Morava school his artistic highest development -find Serbo- Byzantine style was still the Romanesque Western Europe undertook Raška school (eg the monasteries Studenica, Žiča, Sopoćani and Visoki Dečani ) as well as the time of King Milutin's dominant Byzantine tradition the Macedonian school under the mediation of Palaiologischen Renaissance (eg Bogorodica Ljeviška, Gracanica ) operating systems. From this rich structural substrate, the artists of the Morava school developed their own style.

Of the Athos monasteries, especially Hilandar, the plan was adopted. Direct predecessor of the first dates from 1370 in the Morava - style church of the monastery Ravanica was built in 1345 by Emperor Stefan Dušan as a mausoleum and now destroyed Archangels Monastery near Prizren in Kosovo. That just the Dusan's Foundation played an exemplary role for the development of the Morava school, has in addition to occurring there for the first time new architectural ideas (use of architectural sculpture in steps of the building with ribbons, construction as a five- domed church ) under even the legitimacy of the new rule Dynasty Lazar Hrebeljanović do.

Dusan's mausoleum came as a model equal to two -fold meaning. The Great Church in Archangel monastery was schema for the stately mausoleums of Lazar and his son Stefan Lazarević, the smaller, chapel great St. Nicholas Church in the Archangel Monastery, however, was the model for the 1377 built in Krusevac Lazarica court orchestra. Especially this little guy quickly developed further and peaked artistically in the monastery church of Kalenić.

Architecture

The architecture of the Morava school is characterized by the epiphany. This was especially taken by the monasteries of Mount Athos, the Serbian monastery Hilandar. The tendency for height is achieved by stepped blind arches and high reels and elongated domes. A colored, very nuanced and in harmony with the building facade mounted jewelry by alternating rows of brick and executed in bas-relief technique sculptural elements complete this original architecture. Mythological scenes of the bas-reliefs are mounted especially in Kalenić monastery in high quality on the windows. The only religious view of Mary on Narthexfenster is the main work of the Serbian sculpture and has direct Gothic models.

Floor plans

Within the basic form of the churches of the Morava school are to be distinguished, as elsewhere in the Byzantine architecture two basic types. The Einkuppeltrikonchonos as in Lazarica, Kalenić, Ljubostinja, Novo Hopovo, Naupara, Vraćevšnica and Krušedol is used for mostly small town churches and monasteries, which were donated by noblemen. The larger five-domed churches of the Morava school, Ravanica and Manasija, however, are only deprived of the mausoleums of the rulers.

Another type of difference is the use of external architectural decoration that does not occur in churches with exclusive marble cladding as in Manasije and Vracevšnica.

Architectural sculpture and architectural decoration

The most striking common feature of almost all the churches of the Morava school is the rich architectural sculpture. Alternating rows of red bricks and mortar bands lend the buildings a colored appearance. The architectural sculpture is marked by rosettes and window sculptures. Among the sculptures are the most important in Kalenić. In addition to depictions of Mary mythological scenes and depictions of animals, including Griffin, Lion and Bear are represented, which hold only in the later buildings catchment and probably in miniatures from manuscripts such as the Serbian Psalter have their role models. Intricately also the gateways between the narthex and naos and the rosettes ( Ljubostinja, Kalenić and Naupara ) are designed. The monumental naos portal in Kalenić and the rosettes of the west side of Naupara are the major works of Serbian sculpture.

The decorative stone sculpture of the Morava school is considered to be original artistic achievement of Serbian art. The decorative elements are rare with figural representations, characterized by geometric arabesques and stylized floral ornaments. Fragments of the sculptural decoration of the almost completely destroyed St. Stefan 's Church in the village Milentija, which are now exhibited in the National Museum of Serbia Belgrade, show that the decorative elements and figurines were painted and made ​​a very vivid impression.

Wall painting

The frescoes of the Morava school are among the best in the Serbian art. They approach the International Gothic style. The Wedding at Cana in Kalenić and the founder Portrait of Stefan Lazarević and the holy warriors in Manasija are the best known representations. The courtly style of the frescoes has often role models in contemporary miniature painting and is the final painting of the Renaissance Palaiologischen. The frescoes Manasijas are recognizable by external pomp, ceremony and the Pictured wealth of the people as a foundation of the ruling despots, the frescoes in Kalenić characterized by the intimacy and the subtle psychological portrayal of the characters.

Book illumination

Significant evidence of the book of Serbian painting of the Morava school are the tetra- Gospel of Radoslav Gospel 1429 with miniatures of the four evangelists and the Serbian Psalter from the late 14th century, was probably created for Stefan Lazarević. The Serbian Psalter is often through the 148 full-page miniatures of the most valuable late Byzantine manuscripts. Several illustration are known only from this Psalter. For many of the miniatures models of monastic mural are witnessed and the similarity of the thumbnails in the Radoslav Gospel and frescoes in Kalenić and Manasija obvious.

Literary School

In addition to the hagiography of Constantinople Kostenezki (a pupil of Tarnów School and co-founder of the literary school of Resava ) about Stefan Lazarević and the Code of miners from Novo Brdo ( 1412 ), shall receive three works that were written by Stefan Lazarević. These are

• The mourning for his father Lazar ( 1389 )
• The inscription on the marble stele of Kosovo ( 1404)
• A poem of love ( 1409 ), a poetic statement to his brother Vuk

From the nun Jefimija, the Despot Jovan Uglješa widow, is also a eulogy to Prince Lazar written ( praise of Prince Lazar ), during the Battle of Ankara ( 1402), the Lazar's son, Stefan Lazarević, as a vassal of the Sultan Bajazet the I against the Mongol army commander and Great Kahn Timur Leng ( Tamerlane ) had to take the field, should protect them in battle. Determined for the face cloth for the body Lazar, the poem is constructed as gold embroidery. It is the earliest surviving lyric poem of Serbian literature.

Dissemination

Originated the Morava school is in the Šumadija in central Serbia by the Morava River, hence the name Morava school. The monasteries Manasija and Ravanica are built as a grave records by a fixture and equipment with five domes. The churches of Lazarica and Kalenić embody the blend with a dome and cupola above the narthex the other type. Another important foundation is the monastery Ljubostinja the Princess Milica Hrebeljanović. From Moravaserbien the style also spread north of the Danube and Sava. In the Fruska Gora in Srem are, inter alia, the monasteries Novo Hopovo, Krušedol and Mala Remeta attributable to the buildings of the Morava school.

A second boom was the Morava school in Wallachia. The monastery Cozia and the Cathedral Curtea de Arges in are the most important. But many churches in Bucharest show the importance of the Morava school for the art of Wallachia.

The Serbian floor plan with three apses also came in the monasteries of Moldavia as in Putna to bear.