Murals unveiled at Armenian church
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Cambridge Chronicle
By Rosario Teixeira
The Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church, located at 200 Lexington St., Belmont, unveiled two historical murals and an art exhibit by artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian on May 28. The murals are 48 inches by 79 inches each, and are located on the side walls of the church. They depict the baptism of King Drtad and the creation of the Armenian alphabet.
To the left of the center altar, one mural celebrates the 1,700th anniversary of Armenia Christianity. This panel depicts the Baptism of King Drtad as the first Christian King in 301 A.D. Saint Gregory the Illuminator stands on the bank of the Euphrates River and baptizes the King, who is bowed in humility. Queen Ashkhen and the king's sister Princess Khosrovitookht stand behind him, wile two soldiers witness the event. Also depicted in the mural are Mount Ararat in the distance, and in its shadow, the Holy Echmiyadzin Church, which was built 305 A.D. by Saint Gregory and King Drtad.
Located on the wall to the right of the center altar, the second mural celebrates the 1,600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet and Armenian culture. It depicts Saint Mesrob Mashdotz who created the Armenian alphabet in 405 A.D. for the purpose of translating the Bible into the Armenian language. In this panel, Saint Mesrob holds a pen while through a stream of light the alphabet floats to him through divine inspiration. Behind him, there is the symbolic image of Ft. Mekhitar, who in the 1700's founded the Mekhitarist Order in the island of San Lazarus. Also depicted in the background is the bell tower of the San Lazarus Monastery, because its congregation was devoted to the advancement of learning and the publication of works in the Armenian language, in addition they established schools in populated Armenian communities throughout the world.
The Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church in Belmont, is the seventh church to display religious murals painted by Varoujan. Saints Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, was the first church to commission Varoujan's religious murals. Twenty years ago, Daniel Varoujan Hejinian completed 46 murals covering the northern and southern walls of Saint Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church. Since then, he has painted many religious murals and paintings in Armenian Churches throughout the United States.
Varoujan has painted several corporate murals in the Renaissance style such as the Causeway Street Mural, a five-story high mural, which is the gateway to the North End; the murals at Fillippo's Restaurant in the North End; and Luccia's Restaurant in Winchester.
For more information, visit armenianchurch-art.com.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Cambridge Chronicle
By Rosario Teixeira
The Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church, located at 200 Lexington St., Belmont, unveiled two historical murals and an art exhibit by artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian on May 28. The murals are 48 inches by 79 inches each, and are located on the side walls of the church. They depict the baptism of King Drtad and the creation of the Armenian alphabet.
To the left of the center altar, one mural celebrates the 1,700th anniversary of Armenia Christianity. This panel depicts the Baptism of King Drtad as the first Christian King in 301 A.D. Saint Gregory the Illuminator stands on the bank of the Euphrates River and baptizes the King, who is bowed in humility. Queen Ashkhen and the king's sister Princess Khosrovitookht stand behind him, wile two soldiers witness the event. Also depicted in the mural are Mount Ararat in the distance, and in its shadow, the Holy Echmiyadzin Church, which was built 305 A.D. by Saint Gregory and King Drtad.
Located on the wall to the right of the center altar, the second mural celebrates the 1,600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet and Armenian culture. It depicts Saint Mesrob Mashdotz who created the Armenian alphabet in 405 A.D. for the purpose of translating the Bible into the Armenian language. In this panel, Saint Mesrob holds a pen while through a stream of light the alphabet floats to him through divine inspiration. Behind him, there is the symbolic image of Ft. Mekhitar, who in the 1700's founded the Mekhitarist Order in the island of San Lazarus. Also depicted in the background is the bell tower of the San Lazarus Monastery, because its congregation was devoted to the advancement of learning and the publication of works in the Armenian language, in addition they established schools in populated Armenian communities throughout the world.
The Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church in Belmont, is the seventh church to display religious murals painted by Varoujan. Saints Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, was the first church to commission Varoujan's religious murals. Twenty years ago, Daniel Varoujan Hejinian completed 46 murals covering the northern and southern walls of Saint Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church. Since then, he has painted many religious murals and paintings in Armenian Churches throughout the United States.
Varoujan has painted several corporate murals in the Renaissance style such as the Causeway Street Mural, a five-story high mural, which is the gateway to the North End; the murals at Fillippo's Restaurant in the North End; and Luccia's Restaurant in Winchester.
For more information, visit armenianchurch-art.com.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 9:27 AM
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