Anna L. Makarova
(State Institute of Art Studies, Moscow)

Frescoes of St. George Church in Bochorma (Georgia)

The wall paintings of St. George church in Bochorma so far have not been the subject of scholarly research. The architecture of the church has been studied in a detailed article by G. Chubinashvili. The wall paintings, however, are just mentioned in some general works, the only exception being an article by G. Alibegashbili published in Georgian in a popular review more than fifty years ago.
In the works of G. Alibegashvili, Sh. Amiranashvili, T. Virsaladze the wall paintings of Bochorma have not received a detailed analysis. G. Amiranashvili, in her work on secular portraits in Georgian monumental painting, regarding the wall paintings of Bochorma speaks of their peculiar dynamics and of accentuated emotionality of postures and gestures, characteristic of late 11th — early 12th century Georgian painting and, especially, of Cahetian painting school connected with the early frescoes of David Garedji in Udabno. After Alibegashvili, the stylistic connection of Bochorma frescoes with those of David Garedji was also noted by Virsaladze.
Thus, it follows, that the wall paintings of Bochorma may be ascribed to the late 11th — early 12th century. The closest in time dated parallels would be the wall paintings of Ateni, Zemo-Krichi and the mosaics of Gelati.
The present work is an attempt at iconographic description and stylistic analysis of Bochorma frescoes. Its aim is to disclose the individual artistic peculiarity of this monument and to propose some more parallels in order to define its proper place in the development of Georgian art of the late 11th — early 12th cc.