Temporal Structuring in the Chora Parekklesion

Abstract

In the fresco program in the parekklesion of the church of St. Savior in Chora at Constantinople (ca. 1316-21) images of events occurring in the past, present, and future are invoked as if they were occurring simultaneously. Although such temporal structuring was common both in Byzantine church decoration and in the liturgy, at the Chora the temporal construct is more complex, and the meaning is more specific. It is related to the function of the parekklesion as a funeral chapel, housing the tomb of its noble founder Theodore Metochites. The visual development of themes of time and eternity also finds a resonance in the funeral liturgy. The major theme of the decorative program is the promise of salvation to the faithful. It is promised by past resurrections: the scene of the Anastasis in the apse represents Christ resurrecting Adam and Eve, and it is flanked by New Testament miracles in which Christ raises the dead. These images prepare the viewer for the Last Judgment, depicted in a unique composition in the vault above. As Christ sits in judgment, the dead are called forth from their tombs at the end of time. The temporal "place" between past and future events is occupied by the deceased founder and his colleagues, who were buried in arcosolium tombs along the lateral walls of the chapel, and these were decorated with their portraits. The spatial relationships established within the decoration of the chapel emphasize the temporal relationships. The layers of temporality are bound together in an architectural framework, so that the faithful buried within the chapel become participants in the decorative program. They are offered the reassurances of salvation and are poised to be called to final judgment.

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