Original scientific paper

Marble Relief with Enthroned Christ from Rab

Magdalena Skoblar orcid.org/0000-0003-1009-0719 ; Department of History of Art University of York UK- YO10 5DD York

Abstract

This paper focuses on the marble relief with enthroned Christ built in the north wall in the interior of the church
of St Mary at Rab. The author begins by giving an overview of the scholarly literature that mentions this relief
before proceeding with an analysis of its iconography. Finally, the author suggests a possible historical context in
which the relief may have been produced. Since it was first mentioned in Eitelberger’s book of 1861, the relief has
been characterised as early Romanesque – an evaluation agreed upon by most present-day scholars. Scholarly attention
has been almost exclusively directed at the issue of the relief ’s date and origin, and, due to the high quality
of its carving, dimensions and its overall shape, the relief has been interpreted as an imported icon. At the same
time, the iconography of the depiction itself has been relatively neglected, although even Abramić noted the unusual
form of the lyre-backed throne. The iconographic analysis and interpretation presented in this paper throw
new light on the possible commissioners and the historical circumstances that obtained during the period when
the church of St Mary still had a cathedral function.

Keywords

Rab; Christ; lyre-backed throne; Byzantium; Venice

Hrčak ID:

92565

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/92565

Publication date:

17.12.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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