The Virgin and Child from the Apse Hagia Sophia

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The Virgin and Child from the Apse Hagia Sophia

        The Virgin and Child from the Apse Hagia Sophia is a significant work of art which connects the civilizations with its strong religious perspective. Hagia Sophia is presently a museum which formerly was Christian patriarchal basilica and it later became mosque before finally becoming museum. Located in Turkey, this work of art provides the background of religious identity when Christians rules that part of land (hagiasophia).

The work of art consists of a virgin and child in her lap and it is engraved on the apse semi dome and this piece of art represents Mary as virgin and child as Christ. This piece of art is at that time when pressure of creating images of Mary, Christ, and God in church was declining. Moreover, the word virgin and having a child in the lap usually represents Mary and this piece of art depicts so effectively (James).

Discussion:

The Virgin and Child from Hagia Sophia was first piece of art which was created after the iconoclastic era in which creating the images of Mary, God, and Christ was allowed which was prohibited in iconoclastic era. It was inaugurated by Patriarch Photius and the emperors Michael 3 and Basil 1 (pallasweb).

“The Virgin and Child from Hagia Sophia” was inaugurated on March 29, 867 and it is engraved on semi dome of Hagia Sophia Museum in Turkey. It can be considered as the first of its kind because it first mosaic after the iconoclastic era and after it similar pieces of work include Virgin and Child in Majesty (1150-1200), and The Virgin and Child with St. Anne (1498) (metmuseum.org).

This piece of art is first one after iconoclastic era therefore it is meant to portray Christ and Mary in this case and it was inaugurated by king of that time who decorated it in the church to make a look of one of the basic beliefs of religions of Christianity (Teteriatnikov).

The location of the Virgin and Child is The Apse of Hagia Sophia museum which was previously church and then mosque. It was originally located in the present geographical area where it is located. However, viewer gets out of it exactly what artist meant from it.

The Virgin and Child is The Apse of Hagia Sophia is mosaic art and it is engraved on the semi dome of the museum. The virgin’s feet are too small and in comparison with the body the size of the head is very small with the proportion of 1:8.3.

Conclusion:

        It is concluded that The Virgin and Child from Hagia Sophia is work of art which is first one after the iconoclastic era and it is first one since the images of Christ, Marry, and God got popularity in churches.  Other art works those represent the Virgin and Christ are also there but it is one of the most prominent one among them as it is the very first. The representation of this art work has been identified and it is found that it is religious piece of art as it incorporates the Christ and Marry and the place where it is engraved is church. It is one of the works which is very historical and multi perspective as it is created in the era when history was turning its directions towards depicting images of Christ, Marry, and God.