The raising of Lazarus: A comparative, iconographic study of the visual command in the Armenian illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages

While on this earth, Jesus performed many miracles, the raising of Lazarus being one of his greatest. Since Armenia was the first nation to accept Christianity, its art and architecture were mainly devoted to visually proclaiming its newly found faith. Throughout the Middle Ages, the major art form of Armenia was the illuminated manuscripts. These illuminations display a variety of compositional executions identifying the Armenianism paralleled by the influence of their neighboring countries.

Since its Christian inception, the Armenian Apostolic faith became a vital part of life and the early Armenian churches were adorned with Christological representations. Due to the raids of neighboring countries, most of these early adornments were destroyed. However, a great number of the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages have survived. They were created by artists who were commissioned by royalty, wealthy families and the common folk. These artists worked in monasteries scattered throughout greater Armenia and the kingdom of Cilicia.

The first part of my dissertation is devoted to introducing the reader to various aspects of Armenia. Presented are eighty-two illustrations, thirty-six of which are maps, along with comparative timeline charts and other pertinent images. The second part is the comparative, iconographic study of forty-six illustrations, including those of other countries to display their influence upon some of the Armenian miniatures.

Several important factors are mentioned within these comparative, iconographic studies. They are: (1) Biblical references. (2) Characteristics exclusive to Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts. (3) Concepts related to the study and interpretation of art forms (Erwin Panofsky's three-phase method, Kurt Weitzmann's analysis, and the "Contextual" approach). (4) The language of 'gesture' and 'color.' (5) Spatial devices utilized by the artists to give an illusion for a particular interpretation.

This dissertation exhibits the various styles and how each artist has portrayed the raising of Lazarus.

To the Armenian of the Middle Ages, Christianity was the main sustaining factor. Their faith was the major component of daily life. What is left to us in this twenty-first century is not only an expression of their strong belief, but also an expression of their art.