Врх свода цркве Светог Николе у Великој Хочи садржи поља у којима су насли-
кане следеће представе: Духови, Тројица, Пантократор, Емануило, Преображење
/ Богородица, Анђео Великог Савета, Старац дана и арханђео Михаило. Поред
текста псалма CII (CI), исписаног око Христа Пантократора, истиче се и текст
псалма XXXIII (XXXII), који се ниже око Христа Старца дана, док су око Христа
Анђела Великог Савета речи пророка Исаије (Ис. 9:6). Приказана су чак двадесет
и четири пророка, а у суженом избору светитеља издвајају се јерменски мучени-
ци и свети Мина, свети Викентије и свети Виктор.The well-preserved paintings in the vault of the church of Saint Nicholas at
Velika Hoča include nine rectangular, almost square fi elds with the depictions
of the Pentecost, the Holy Trinity, Christ Pantokrator, Emmanuel, Transfi guration
/ 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 confi dence, 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 identifi cation of most
of the prophets and saints of the fi fth zone. As many as twenty-four prophets
were painted. In the limited selection of saints, the depictions of all fi ve Armenian
martyrs were given a prominent place because of the relics kept in the Patriarchate
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
