John the Baptist on Deesis Mosaic 1261

Curator: Right in front of us, a fragment of eternity sparkles. It’s "John the Baptist," part of the Deesis Mosaic, dating back to 1261 in the Hagia Sophia. The medium is of course, the incredible Byzantine mosaics. Editor: Gosh, the immediate feeling? Melancholy, absolutely. Look at the tilt of his head, the shadow under his eyes... It’s the face of someone who knows too much, or perhaps, someone carrying a world of burdens on their shoulders. Curator: Precisely, and to delve into the socio-political undercurrents, we must recall that John represents repentance, moral authority, but also, in this mosaic's context, intercession. The Deesis typically places him alongside the Virgin Mary, both pleading with Christ for humanity’s salvation. In that time the fall of Constantinople to the crusaders not far in the past, you can feel a world heavy with sin, begging for relief. Editor: Sin, relief... Or maybe it’s something more personal? When I gaze at this image, the small mosaic stones make me feel like a piece of each one had to have the artisan thinking of death in order to do that much work on this single project. His eyes speak of immense internal struggles, it makes you wonder if this is the "real" John the Baptist. A quiet revolution of sorts? The subtle rebellion against expectation in artistic expressions of humility or despair. Curator: Oh, but let us not overlook the incredible skill. To create such an emotionally charged expression through tesserae… Consider the craftsmanship, but moreover, to imbue those tiny fragments with such palpable sorrow, hope. It’s an alchemic process! Each tile reflecting light and emotion as one to produce this iconic image, but its John, reduced down to pure faith, as an everyday man. Editor: A bittersweet reflection of faith perhaps. It almost hurts to look, a sharp sting of empathy. How does he manage to convey so much without grand gestures, but with these small gems, little fractured parts assembled with a devotion I've seldom seen mirrored? Curator: Indeed, to see it up close, in the basilica itself, is overwhelming. A single glimpse becomes a conversation, and each of those is as vital as it was in 1261. Editor: True, standing before it I want to believe in what I'm seeing even if it goes against all the logical conclusions to this point. Still, it is wonderful, I think that image of doubt helps me feel just a little bit less lost, as I leave here today.