Toros Roslin

Armenian miniaturist; greatest master of the Cilician school at its peak (second half of the 13th century).

Toros Roslin worked in the Romkla Monastery. Seven of his signed manuscripts, executed between 1256 and 1268, have been preserved; a notable example is the Malatya Gospel (1268; Matenadaran ancient manuscript depository, Yerevan).

Toros Roslin’s works are considered the greatest examples of Armenian book miniatures. They vividly reflect a new way of thinking that diverged considerably from the medieval world view. The miniatures are characterized by precision of composition and particular clarity in the treatment of space, for example, the use of certain elements of linear perspective. They are endowed with rich ornamentation; a refined palette expressed through the vivid use of local color harmoniously blended with complex mixed tones; and noble, restrained imagery. Toros Roslin posed his figures in a lifelike, dynamic manner and succeeded in expressing their characters and temperaments. To a certain extent he overcame the traditional medieval conventions in the treatment of the human figure.