The visualization of a hagiography: Frescoes of the chapel of St. Nicholas of Myra in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin of the Ferapontov Monastery

Research on the frescoes of St. Nicholas chapel in Ferapontov Monastery's Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin reveals that the spatial arrangement of scenes, rather than chronological order, follows a principle of pairing and iconographic similarity. The study proposes that this compositional approach, characterized by visual and semantic balance around an axis of symmetry, was influenced by hagiographic icons of St. Nicholas. While the hypothesis is supported by the observation that thematically related scenes are placed opposite each other, the research also identifies limitations in this interpretation. This finding challenges traditional views on the linear historical narrative in medieval Russian art and suggests a more sophisticated visual conception.

Silina, O. V.,. (2024). The visualization of a hagiography: Frescoes of the chapel of St. Nicholas of Myra in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin of the Ferapontov Monastery. Journal of Visual Theology, 6(1), 150–161. https://doi.org/10.34680/vistheo-2024-6-1-150-161