Живопис у своду цркве Светог Николе у Великој Хочи
The Frescoes in the Vault of the Church of Saint Nicholas at Velika Hoča

Summary/Abstract: The well-preserved paintings in the vault of the church of Saint Nicholas at Velika Hoča include nine rectangular, almost square fields with the depictions of the Pentecost, the Holy Trinity, Christ Pantokrator, Emmanuel, Transfiguration / Holy Virgin, the Angel of the Great Council, the Ancient of Days and the Archangel Michael. The three calligraphic inscriptions frame the depictions of Pantokrator, the Angel of the Great Council and the Ancient of Days. The use of the text from Psalm XXXII (XXXIII) and Psalm LCCII (LXXVIIII), and especially Psalm CI (CII), in painted scenes can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Along with the text of Psalm CI (CII), written out around Christ Pantokrator, a prominent place in the church of Saint Nicholas is occupied by the text of Psalm XXXII (XXXIII), which runs around Christ the Ancient of Days. The depiction of the Angel of the Great Council is surrounded by the words of the prophet Isaiah (9: 1). Painted with confidence, clarity and inspiration, the characters depicted in large medallions, especially the different emanations of the Lord, reveal the exceptional style of the main painter. The background composed of ‘multiple heavens’, star light and light beams is the feature found in the best iconographic programmes of vaults prior to the paintings in the church of Saint Nicholas at Velika Hoča. A direct model could have come through the ready-made templates that could have belonged to one of the painters working in the narthex of the Patriarchate of Peć. The poor visibility before cleaning did not allow for the identification of most of the prophets and saints of the fifth zone. As many as twenty-four prophets were painted. In the limited selection of saints, the depictions of all five Arme nian martyrs were given a prominent place because of the relics kept in the Pa triarchate of Peć. In the church of Saint Nicholas, the interest in Serbian saints is evidenced by the depictions of Saint Sava in the sanctuary and King Milutin, Emperor Dušan and King Stefan Dečanski in the naos, and is additionally highlighted in the vaults, by the images of Saints Menas, Vincent and Victor, celebrated the same day as Stefan Dečanski.

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