Mosaic Decoration of the San Venanzio Chapel in the Laterаn Baptistery in Rome

The present contribution is focused on analysis of the mosaic decoration in the chapel of St Venatius (San Venanzio), adjacent to the Lateran Baptistery in Rome. The rich cycle unfolding on the walls of the chapel combines several visual motifs. Particularly noteworthy is the representation in the apse that brings together the image of the orant Virgin and a group of saints, who form a row of figures. This row continues on the outer walls of the altar niche, with four saints on each side. The choice of these saints along with the general iconography of the chapel do not find direct parallels in other early medieval monuments. Therefore, it can be argued that the Roman decoration under discussion was inspired primarily by the wishes and personal agenda of Pope John IV (640–642), who commissioned this program and was depicted in the apse offering the building of the chapel. Besides studying the rendering of saints in this mosaic, the paper offers an insight into the visual trends and artistic expertise of craftsmen working at Rome in the first half of the seventh century

Altar · Ancient history · Art · Art history · Chapel · Fresco · Iconography · Mosaic · Painting · Parallels · Visual arts · Byzantine Studies and History · Classics · Engineering · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome · History · Libraries, Manuscripts, and Books

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  Open Access•Elena A Khripkova•Культура и искусство•2024

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