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Document Details : Title: Pictorial Devotion to the Virgin Mary in Armenian Book Art of the Early Modern Period Author(s): YENOKYAN, Ani Journal: Le Muséon Volume: 135 Issue: 3-4 Date: 2022 Pages: 451-482 DOI: 10.2143/MUS.135.3.3291203 Abstract : This paper explores the Armenian 'modernization' process in the context of art and visual culture. In particular, I have studied the illustrations of Armenian old-printed books, published between 1512-1800. The case study refers to the new way of depicting the Holy Mother of God. For example, the western way of portraying Virgin Mary as a reading woman during the Annunciation, or images of the Coronation and the Glorification of Holy Mother of God. These new compositions dedicated to the veneration of Mary conquered the hearts of many Armenian publishers and artists of the Early Modern period (at the end of the 17th and 18th centuries in particular). The iconographic transitions emerged as a result of creative adaptation and localization of European printed book illustrations, as well as under the influence of new translated texts from Latin, such as prayers. While studying iconographic influences that come from print media, and interactions of miniatures and printed images, I addressed the following questions: how did the compositional copying from European book illustrations influence the concept of the Armenian miniature tradition and how does the post-Renaissance iconography reflect the reality of Armenian society and its artistic approaches? These complex issues of Early Modern Armenian book art are raised and touched upon in this article, but are not disclosed in all respects. |
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