The following instances may be given of the agreement of the mosaics at S. Sophia with the instructions of the Painter’s Manual. For example, it directs that over the door of entrance from the narthex Christ be represented throned, holding the Gospel open at the words, “I am the Door: by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” At each side the Virgin and the Prodromos are to be represented. The figure to Christ’s left at S. Sophia, called Michael by Salzenberg, Grelot tells us was the Prodromos and he probably followed the traditional ascription, although the type seems to agree better with an archangel.
Again, “Inside the Sanctuary at the centre of the vaults draw the Virgin seated on a throne holding Christ as a little child.”[402] This exactly describes the apsoid mosaic at S. Sophia. The cupola of the gynaeceum, representing the descent of the Holy Spirit, is also in close agreement with the directions given in the Manual:—“The Holy Spirit is seen in the form of a dove, twelve tongues of fire go out from it and rest on the apostles.” This subject is treated at S. Luke’s in a manner almost identical to that at S. Sophia, and it is also found in a dome at S. Mark’s.
Diehl in his examination of the mosaics at S. Luke’s has pointed out that the central circle of the Pentecost cupola at S. Sophia as shown by Salzenberg in Plate xxxi. is quite insufficient to have contained the figure of Christ as shown in the restoration given on Plate xxvi., and that consequently the Holy Spirit as a Dove really occupied this position as at S. Luke’s. In [Fig. 71] we give an amended restoration of this centre; it will be seen from Salzenberg’s text that he had no evidence for a figure. The two angels above the sanctuary are described by Salzenberg as bearing lances or banner poles; these were doubtless surmounted by Flabella bearing the words
ΑΓΙΟϹ
ΑΓΙΟϹ
ΑΓΙΟϹ
as at S. Luke’s and Nicaea.[403] There is a very similar angel holding a flabellum of this kind in the tenth century Menologium; and the words Holy, Holy, Holy, are directed to be put on flabella in the manual.
Again the Manual says, “At the summit of these vaults (opening from the dome) draw the holy Veil to the east and opposite to it the holy Cup.” Now in Grelot’s view of the interior, made when many of the mosaics were still visible, he shows a large square mosaic at the crown of the bema vault directly over the altar, which he says was “the picture of Christ’s face upon a napkin called Veronica.”
The representation of the throne at the centre of the soffite of the eastern arch (see p. [277]) is one of the most beautiful symbolisms of Byzantine art. At Nicaea the same design occurs in a similar position on the triumphal arch, and it is inscribed ΕΤΟΙΜΑϹΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΘΡΟΝΟΥ. This “Preparation of the throne” referred to the second coming of Christ. Our figure represents a throne of this kind which we offer as an illustration of that at S. Sophia; it is based on a throne inscribed Η ΕΤΗΜΑϹΙΑ which appears on the cover of a Byzantine Gospel book at S. Mark’s.[404] The small dome of the little chapel on the first floor, Salzenberg says, resembles a dome at S. Prassede. The latter is a work of the ninth century.[405]
Fig. 72.—Restoration Throne at Crown of Great E. Arch.
Salzenberg’s description seems to account for all the figured mosaics mentioned by Grelot (1680) except the “Veronica over the sanctuary.” When Grelot made his drawing there was no figure at the crown of the dome but only the bands rising to the central wreath. Clavijo however writes, “The vault of the square is covered with very rich mosaic work, and in the middle of the vault high over the great altar the image of God the Father very large is wrought in mosaics of many colours; but it is so high up that it only looks the size of a man or a little larger though really it is so big that it measures three palmos between the eyes.” This must be the Pantocrator of the Manual—“draw near the summit of the cupola a circle of different colours like a rainbow seen on clouds in rainy weather. In the centre represent Christ with the Gospel and this inscription, Jesus Christ, the Almighty.”