Yourlastname 1 Student Name Professor Name History of art October 2012 Portraits of the four tetrarchs Each epoch

in art, as well as the stages of development of humanity as a whole, is characterized with innovation, the birth of new forms, filling them with different content, and at the same time, with the continuation of traditions, continuity of cultures connection. It should be noted that each piece of art has a history, structure and interesting unexplained facts that encourage the viewer to think about its deeper meaning. What exactly did the author want to convey in this work, what is the meaning of it, why did he use this technique and the material? And there are a lot of other questions, on which viewer should answer to make profound formal analysis. In this paper, on the example of Portraits of the four tetrarchs I will try to convey the internal and external contents of the sculpture, its basic composition and idea. Portraits of the four tetrarchs - is a sculpture of the first half of the IVth century, which has its own interesting history (Storti, 36). Statues, perhaps initially decorated the columns Constantinople's Philadelphion. They were taken by the Venetians, when the city was sacked during the Fourth Crusade and moved to Venice. In 1960, the missing part of a leg of one of the Tetrarchs was discovered by archaeologists in Istanbul, close to Bodrum Mosque. Today this part is in the Museum of Archaeology in Istanbul. The composition has four complete silhouettes, which are interconnected. It consists of the four tetrarchs-rulers - of two Augusti and two Caesars, embracing each other (Kleiner & Mamiya, 294). This location was used to demonstrate the idea of the unity of the Roman Empire.

Yourlastname 2 The figures, according to current interpretation, represent the four emperors, colleagues during the time of Diocletian and must once have served as a support to the architrave of a doorway. But the Venetians called this sculpture I mori the moors - and put it here in memory of the failed attempt to rob the treasury of San Marco, undertaken by four Saracens. Under the sculpture there is an old Venetian proverb: "A man can do and contemplate whatever he wants, but he must not forget about the consequences" (Storti, 35). Each tetrarch looks the same, without any individualized characteristics, except that two, probably representing the older Augusti, have beards, and two do not (Storti, 36). The group is divided into pairs, each embracing, that combines Augusti and Caesars together. Overall effect suggests unity and stability. The figures are strong and blackish, far from the plausibility or idealism of earlier periods. The figures are rigid and static; their clothing is patterned and stylized. They are armed. Tetrarchs faces are deprived of individual traits. They do not have noses. This may be the author's idea, or maybe the consequences of centuries-old storage and transport. Their faces are repetitive and they seem to stare in a kind of trance ( Storti, 36). Tetrarchs look is solid, calm and expressive. Their world-attitude is balanced and dispassionate. The proportions of the human body are slightly skewed. This is traced in the right hand of embracing tetrarch. The shoulder is inconsistent with a provision of the statue and the body silhouette. The wholeness of nature and reliability are experienced in the entire appearance of sculpture. The creators tried to convey in the statues of the Tetrarchs, not individual, personal traits, but essential, typical characteristics of people, their purpose, the most valuable quality in terms of Roman culture.

Yourlastname 3 The significance image of a hero is formed, who is fighting for approval of universal harmony on the earth through physical strength, agility, courage and commitment. In this struggle the value of heroic efforts and the willingness of the enormous overcoming energy are detected, that reflecte the real rulers attitude to the people. Courage, clarity of mind and willingness to exploits appears in calmness of tetrarchs faces. We have before us the ideal of the era - diversified and whole persons, symbolizing the unity of the empire. Portrait of the four tetrarchs is mounted into south facade of the Venetian cathedral of San Marco (Kleiner & Mamiya, 294). Despite the rather big size of sculpture (about 4.3 feet), the composition does not inspire greatness and grandeur. It is due to the fact that it is a part of the architecture, and on the background of the huge cathedral of San Marco, this sculpture looks a bit lost. Portrait of the four tetrarchs is a monumental and decorative sculpture, which is designed to specify the architectural image, to add expressive of architectural forms of the buildings with new shades, it is capable to solve large ideological and imaginative tasks that are completely revealed in the cathedral of San Marco, which is characterized by the majesty of form and durability of the material, raised shaped structure and the breadth of generalization. Portrait of the four tetrarchs belongs to the late Byzantine style. Perhaps no other single style of sculpture combines ancient ecclesiastical forms with sacred artworks as lavishly as the Byzantine (Saylor). Sculptures are formal and symmetrical, with compact lines and shapes. Sculptural composition combined different styles and features in new and eclectic ways. This hybridity can be partly attributed to the empires expansiveness. In the furthest reaches of the empire, local traditions were often far stronger than were the Byzantine conventions. Continuing

Yourlastname 4 the tradition of antiquity, Byzantium inherited the cultural achievements of the conquered nations. Deep synthesis of ancient and oriental elements is a characteristic feature of the Byzantine style. All these listed issues and following can be traced in the sculpture Portrait of the four tetrarchs: Stubby proportions, angular movements, an ordering of parts through symmetry and repetition; a rendering of features and drapery folds through incisions are the hallmark of the style, it consists of an emphatic hardness, heaviness and angularity - in short, an almost complete rejection of the classical tradition ( Saylor). Portrait of the four tetrarchs can be viewed from several sides. If we stand from one side of the temple, only two tetrarchs will be fully viewed. If we stand from the corner side, we can see the complete composition. But there is no point of review where we can examine each face of tetrarchs, as they look in different directions, it can be assumed in different parts of the world, to control the environmental situation and to protect their possessions. It seems to me that the author specifically placed the statues on different directions, to make their review bigger and richer, and to show not just the four rulers, but to show a unified idea, which pursues each of the tetrarchs, namely, the care and protection of his empire. Technique of making sculpture is a stone carving. Exactly this technique allowed the author to create such smooth, at the same time, sharp and gentle lines. The choice of material, the durable porphyry (which came from Egypt), symbolizes a permanence of the kind reminiscent of Egyptian statuary (Storti, 36). Porphyry was rare and reserved for imperial use. The color of the material - dark red - allows us to consider all the finest details. This dark color of the stone shows all the folds of clothing, patterns on their robes, swords, crowns and

Yourlastname 5 footwear. It is interesting to study their faces - even blurred features, they still radiate courage, integrity and, at the same time, appeasement. Note, however, that August with one hand is holding the weapon, and with the other - embracing Caesars. It points to their unity in government and willingness to protect their tetrarchy. This color, texture and material effect on the perception of the whole composition. Be it done in a light stone, not polished - the whole structure and the tone of sculpture would be lost. The color of the stone plays a huge role in the figures space. This volume shade allows us to consider delicate features of their bodies and faces. Taking into account the period of the sculptures origin, it is very well preserved. There are some damages on the headdresses, capes, at the junction of tetrarch pairs and during transportation the part of one tetrarchs left leg was lost, which was later restored by local craftsmen. The restored foot of the tetrarch slightly spoils the overall impression. Its color, material and texture are significantly different from the original. Sculptured surface texture is varied, in some places, is homogeneous (parts of the body, the coat), and some - relief (clothing, weapons). Traces of instruments are not visible. Despite the twofold origin of the legends and meaning of the Portrait of the four tetrarchs, it can be concluded that this sculpture, in first instance, symbolizes the unity of the strongest and bravest warriors. And its color, material, size and texture shows creators mastery that needs to be commended for its contribution to the culture of that time. Portrait of the four tetrarchs do not leave indifferent many people over the centuries with its secret origin, integrity and hidden tranquility.

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Works Cited Bartnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 27-28 Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, 10th ed, 2011. Print Kleiner, Fred S., & Mamiya, Christin J. Gardner's Art Through the Ages, 294 Thomson Wadsworth; 12th edition (March 17, 2004). Print Storti, Edizioni. Venice and its treasures, 35-36. Venezia, 1977. Print. Munsterberg, M., 2009. Writing about art. Revised edition. [Online] Available at: http://www.writingaboutart.org/ The Saylor foundation. Late Byzantine architecture [Online] Available at: http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ARTH401-4.2-Late-ByzantineArchitecture-FINAL.pdf.