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50 48 Central nave, looking east To re-establish image veneration and the power of the church after the defeat of Iconoclasm, a new echelon of holy images was introduced in the central nave of Hagia Sophia during the reign of the emperors Basil I (867-886) and Leo VI (886-912). The Virgin enthroned with Christ child is in the center apse, and church fathers in the north and south tympana. (photo: Byzantine Institute)
51 Cleaning the mosaics A conservator cleaning the John II Komnenos and Empress Irene panel with a dental tool, using another device to rest and steady his hand (photo: P. Iskender, Byzantine Institute, ca. 1935) a new method of cleaning. 38 The glass tesserae were rubbed with a piece of chamois slightly dampened with a weak solution of ammonia—one part ammonia to three parts water—brushed with a bristle brush, and then polished with another chamois. This method cut the cleaning time in half. The conservators went back to the narthex and re-cleaned the mosaics there using the new method. While working on the mosaic panel of Ignatios Theophoros in 1940, the conservator J. M. Brennan described how the conservators restored the original white color of the dolomite cubes in the garments of the church fathers (Figs. 27, 28; Pls. 4, 5). Unlike glass tesserae, which could be cleaned with brushes and an ammonia-soaked cloth, the marble cubes absorbed the ammonia solution, leading the grey-brown film of dirt to penetrate the tesserae. As a result, the dirt could only be removed by using dental tools on each cube. 39 Mosaic Techniques During their work at Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Institute conservators investigated the techniques used in creating the mosaics. The first published observations on these methods were made by them in Whittemore’s reports. Other publications on Byzantine mosaics show that the mosaicists worked directly on the church walls in a manner similar to that of fresco artists. 40 As stated previously, three layers of original plaster 38 W. Gregory, diary, 1937. 39 J. M. Brennan, diary, 1940. On uncovering the church fathers in the tympana, see W. L. MacDonald, “The Uncovering of Mosaics in Hagia Sophia,”Archaeology 4.2 (1951), 89-93. 40 Whittemore incorporated in his writings the reports written by A. Frolow and other staff members, which were based on the conservators’ notebooks. For other references on Byzantine mosaic 49
Page 1 and 2: Mosaics of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul:
Page 3 and 4: © 1998 Dumbarton Oaks Trustees for
Page 5 and 6: Acknowledgments The catalogue and e
Page 7 and 8: Thomas Whittemore (photo: Maurice S
Page 9 and 10: mately, the Fossatis’ studies wou
Page 11: 7 5 6 (above) General view of Hagia
Page 14 and 15: 9 10 (right) Inner narthex, looking
Page 16 and 17: 13 Detail, the dome Each rib of the
Page 18 and 19: Aya Sofia reveal a radical change i
Page 20 and 21: 16 20 Detail, south vestibule, lune
Page 22 and 23: 19 22 Central nave after the Fossat
Page 24 and 25: 21 24 Fossati patterns in the apse
Page 26 and 27: 23 24 Lunette and barrel vault over
Page 28 and 29: Diagram of the mosaics in the south
Page 30 and 31: 30 28 North tympanum, lunette, St.
Page 32 and 33: 30 sion Hagia Sophia was closed for
Page 34 and 35: on the conservation of the mosaics,
Page 36 and 37: Besides data on conservation, the d
Page 38 and 39: during the search for the figural p
Page 40 and 41: 36 Apse conch and bema vault The ce
Page 42 and 43: 39 South gallery, testing of the mo
Page 44 and 45: tached tesserae were reset by gluin
Page 46 and 47: 48 Gridding the apse mosaic During
Page 50 and 51: 50 52 53 South gallery, Emperor Joh
Page 52 and 53: 52 55 56 South gallery, the Deesis
Page 54 and 55: 54 58 59 The Deesis The panel repre
Page 56 and 57: 61 bed, had a more detailed paintin
Page 58 and 59: 63 Conservator’s notebook entry I
Page 60 and 61: In the central lunette in the inner
Page 64 and 65: 67 Central nave in the morning, loo
Page 66 and 67: The first step in making copies was
Page 68 and 69: apse and three letters from the ins
Page 71: Plate 2 Tracing of a Latin cross Gr
Page 75: Plate 4 Reproduction of St. Ignatio

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