Some Specificities of the Iconographic Programmes of Georgian Wall Paintings

The beginning of the 11th century marked a profound shift in the history of ecclesiastical painting in Georgia. Paintings adorning entire interior spaces became obligatory. The “classical” system of adornment, which was borrowed from Byzantium, underwent some significant transformations on Georgian soil. The local spesifisities of the iconographic programs of the Georgian churches can already be traced from the very beginning of the adaptation of the new system of decoration, though they became especially vocal in the 12th and 13th centuries. Alongside the growing interest in local, “national” saints (Saint Nino, the Apostolic Saint of Georgia, so called, thirteen Assyrian Fathers, etc.), medieval Georgian art privileged some specific iconographic subjects, giving them dominant importance in the overall program (for example, the Glorification of the Cross, Mandylion, Deesis). The present paper focuses on the decoration of domes and sanctuaries in Georgian churches, highlighting characteristic decorative motifs and exploring the uniqueness of Georgian programs within broad historical, theological, and political contexts.