Античная древность и средние века (Jan 2019)
On the style of the mosaics of San Giusto in Trieste
Abstract
Two apses of the cathedral of San Giusto in Trieste were decorated with mosaics in late 11th – early 12th centuries. Despite losses and restorations the mosaics of San Giusto are in the best state of preservation compared to other monuments in Northern Italy. Judging by their highest quality, Byzantine mosaicists who worked in San Giusto came from one of the most important artistic centres of that time. The mosaics reveal close similarity in style with those of the capella Zen and central apse of San Marco in Venice and the fragments of mosaics of the basilica Ursiana in Ravenna of 1112 (now in the Museo Arcivescovile). They evidently belong to the artistic trend in Byzantine art, which for the period of 1030 – 1040-s in scientific literature (by O. Popova etc.) was referred to as ‘ascetic’. However by the early 12th century its forms and images become less rigid, with more nuances and details.
