Qusayr Amra Bathhouse Frescoes: On the Representation of an Imperial Cult in the Late Antique Art
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18688/Keywords:
Qusayr Amra, cult of monarch, Late Antique art, early Islamic art, New DionysusAbstract
The article is devoted to the painting decoration of the Qusayr Amra bath complex, emphasizing the cultic significance of a monarch’s representation. The key to interpreting the fresco cycle lies in the arrangement of scenes into three horizontal friezes, which, in our opinion, represent the cosmic order with a hierarchical structure, where the court life scenes are depicted in the lower zone and the abstract celestial images are situated on the vaults. These narratives could serve as metaphors paralleling the depicted ruler’s acts in the lower register. Thus, the analysis suggests an attempt to glorify the authority figure, who appears multiple times in the frescoes. A particular scene depicted in the western nave of the bathhouse that previously defied straightforward interpretation holds special interest. It depicts a colossal nude figure during a ceremonial public ablution. Drawing upon literary sources and indirect archaeological evidence, we propose considering it as a portrait of Caliph al-Walid II in the image of the New Dionysus. Such a parallel might have arisen under the influence of Hellenistic royal and Roman imperial cults, where a monarch was perceived as one of Dionysian incarnations.
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