Author: stanleyhirsch

Baptism and Temptation of Christ | Art for Lent 1C

Luke 4:1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil

Baptism and Temptation of Christ
Baptism and Temptation of Christ
1580-82
Oil on canvas, 248 x 450 cm
Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan
VERONESE, Paolo
(b. 1528, Verona, d. 1588, Venezia)
Click image for more information.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Baptism and Temptation of Christ, Oil on Canvas, 1580-1582, Paolo Veronese, 1528-1588

During the Italian Renaissance of the fifteenth and sixteenth century, the cities of Florence and Rome were major centers of art. Venetians also could boast of their art during this period; Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese were among the finest artists in Europe. Being at the northern tip of the Adriatic Sea, the people of Venice were seafarers and their merchant ships sailed eastward to trade with ports throughout the region. Through trade, Venetians acquired great wealth and as was the practice (then and now), people of means acquired possessions to enrich their lives and serve as symbols of status. Inasmuch as expensive sports cars and private jets were not available, their possessions were sumptuous palaces and fine art. They also were generous in their support of public projects and the Church. Because of favorable working conditions and an opportunity to earn fine salaries, many painters, sculptors, and artisans made Venice their home. Veronese (given name Paolo Caliari), studied initially in the city of his birth, Verona, but soon was living and working in nearby Venice. In Venice, he became known simply as “Veronese,” a person from Verona.

As Renaissance art continued from the fifteenth century to the sixteenth there was a tendency toward mannerism and then from mannerism, art developed into the baroque style of the seventeenth century. “Baptism and Temptation of Christ,” painted by Veronese in the latter part of the mannerist period is baroque-like in its dramatic composition. As we enter the painting at the lower left, we see John the Baptist in shadow but we do not linger. Instead, we move past him immediately to the upper torso of Christ which is bathed in light emanating from a dove representing the Holy Spirit. Not only does Christ receive our immediate attention but also all figures in this section of the painting are focused on him. Included in this drama are a cherub and angels hovering excitedly. The dove illuminates the foreground figures while shadows of the trees close off pictorial depth.

The narrative continues as we leave the baptism and move to the right where after forty days and nights of fasting, Christ is with Satan in a clearing. A forest is in the middle ground and then in the background beyond the trees are buildings representing the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. Unlike the animated scene of the baptism, the temptation of Christ is calm. Satan is not depicted with horns or forked tail but appears as an old bearded and seemingly harmless figure in a gray robe.

Note

A visitor to Venice today may still feast visually on its art but they will not see evidence of shipping and trade. The city is supported financially now by tourists who dine at fine restaurants, ride the canals in gondolas, and feed pigeons after lunch at McDonalds in St. Mark’s Square.

Hovak Najarian © 2013

Transfiguration | Art for Last Epiphany C

Luke 9:28-29 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

Transfiguration
Transfiguration
Fresco
“Dark church” ( Karanlik kilise ) 11th century
Göreme district, Nevşehir Province, Turkey.
Click image for more information.
Click here for more Göreme district churches.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Transfiguration, Fresco, 11th Century, Unknown artist of Cappadocia

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking to him.” (Matt. 17:1-3)

A large portion of the Eastern Roman Empire spoke Greek and by the seventh century it was the primary language used by the Byzantines. The Byzantine Empire extended eastward from Constantinople and included Asia Minor where Greek speaking Orthodox Christians often had to seek protection from invading tribes. In a region known as Cappadocia, the ash and lava of a volcanic eruption created rock formations that were soft and could be carved easily. By carving into the rock, Christians hollowed out spaces that would shelter them from the elements and offer protection from invaders. The soft rock also was carved out for churches.

In a monastic compound known as the “Dark Church,” The interior walls and the ceilings are covered with frescos and among the paintings is “The Transfiguration.” In it, Moses and Elijah are with Jesus in an event interpreted as a revelation that Christ is the fulfillment of the law and prophets. Moses represents the law and often he is shown holding the Torah or a stone tablet. Elijah represents the prophets. In this fresco, neither Moses nor Elijah has been given an identifying symbol but we can assume the gray-haired bearded man is Moses and the un-bearded figure is Elijah.

Mt. Tabor is the traditional site of the transfiguration but other places have been proposed. One of the suggested sites is Mt. Hermon which has three distinct peaks and in paintings of the event often three peaks are shown; Christ is always in the center. In the “Dark Church” fresco, Moses is standing on the right peak and Elijah is on the left. Below them are the disciples kneeling and crouching. At the bottom left is Peter with white hair and a beard. He is pointing upward toward Christ. The disciple John is depicted in the center as a beardless youth (his face is partially obscured by damage) and James is to the right with brown hair and a beard. Linear rays indicate a direct connection between Jesus and each of the figures.

Note

The “Dark Church” is so named because it has only a small opening (oculus) for light, thus the interior is dim.

Among the various people of ancient Cappadocia were the Armenians who were known at one time as being horse breeders. “Cappadocia,” the historic name for the region was derived likely from “Kapatuka,” an Old Persian term meaning, “Land of beautiful horses.” The Crusaders referred to the region as Terra Hermeniorum: “Land of the Armenians.”

Hovak Najarian © 2013

Elijah Increases the Oil of the Widow | Art for Epiphany 4C

Luke 4:25-26 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.

Elijah Increases the Oil of the Widow
Elijah Increases the Oil of the Widow
1/69-70
Pewter-lead alloy, height 173 cm (without socle)
Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna
MESSERSCHMIDT, Franz Xaver
(b. 1736, Wiesensteig, d. 1783, Bratislava
Click image for more information.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Elijah Increases the Oil of the Widow, Pewter, 1769-70, Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, 1736-1783

The title of Franz Messerschmidt’s, sculpture, “Elijah Increases the Oil of the Widow,” sets up an expectation of the biblical story (1 Kings, 17:7-16). The work only alludes to the story, however, and an occasional reference to it as the “so called Zarephath fountain” is fitting. It is primarily a fountain sculpture of a woman pouring water in the style of figures seen in courtyards and gardens throughout Europe.

The biblical account of Elijah and a poor widow tells of a time of famine. God told Elijah to go to the city of Zarephath to meet the widow. There he saw the widow gathering wood near the gate of the city. She was going to build a fire and use the last of her flour and oil to prepare bread. Then she and her son would have a final meal and it was likely they soon would die. Elijah, a stranger to the widow, asked her for water but then, as she was going to get some for him, he also asked for a piece of bread. She hesitated but Elijah promised that if she prepared bread for him she would never run out of oil and flour. The widow had faith and fed Elijah; thereafter provisions were miraculously provided for her.

Franz Messerschmidt, an Austrian, established a successful career sculpting busts of dignitaries in a fashionable baroque manner but in 1765 his studies in Rome brought him in direct contact with classical art. His visit to Italy coincided with a time when there was great interest in the excavations at Herculaneum, a Roman city covered and preserved by the ashes of Vesuvius. Upon his return to Austria, he completed several full-sized figures that were influenced clearly by classicism. Among these commissions was a courtyard fountain sculpture for a palace in Vienna. In its typical Roman niche setting, Elijah and the widow’s son are nowhere to be seen. The widow’s stance, clothing, hair style and the amphora from which she is pouring water are all from Greek and Roman sources. At the widow’s feet, Messerschmidt places two cherubs to do God’s work. One is lifting a food storage urn to the widow and another has his arms around an urn ready to offer it as well. The offering of storage urns by cherubs informs us that ongoing provisions from God are being supplied to the widow.

Note

In the eighteenth century, one of the metals alloyed with tin to make pewter was lead. Messerschmidt used pewter and as he became older he began exhibiting peculiar behavior; it is very likely this was due to lead poisoning.

In Christian art, plump rosy-cheeked cherubs were the counterparts to small Roman cupids. In appearance, cherubs often were not discernable from cupids and they were used in a similar manner. By the seventeenth century the question of whether a figure in art was a sacred cherub or a secular cupid depended on the theme of the work. As cupids, they were agents of secular love and as cherubs they represented the omnipresence of God.

Hovak Najarian © 2013

Prisoners Exercising | Art for Epiphany 3C

Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Prisoners-Exercising (after-Doré)
Prisoners Exercising (after-Doré)
Vincent van Gogh
Painting, Oil on Canvas
Saint-Rémy: February 10 – 11, 1890
Pushkin Museum
Moscow, Russia, Europe
Click image for more information.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Prisoners Exercising (after Gustave Doré), Oil on Canvas, 1890, Vincent van Gogh, 1853-1890

While he was a young man in the Netherlands, Vincent van Gogh worked for a gallery and seemed headed toward a career as an art dealer. A few years later, however, while working at the London branch of the dealership, an unrequited love turned his thoughts inward. He was a deeply spiritual person and his interest shifted toward becoming a minister, as was his father, in the Dutch Reform Church. Upon returning to the Netherlands, he tried to enroll in divinity school but was turned down. Vincent was turned down again when he wanted to be a missionary so he made the decision to take the Gospel to the coal miners in Belgium on his own. Miners there lived in great poverty and without hope but Vincent learned that nothing he could say or do would make a difference. As a result of his failures, he reasoned that painting might be a way he could give expression to his inner spirit without having to interact directly with people. He went about methodically to master the discipline of art and after three years of drawing and painting, he moved to Paris to be with his brother, Theo.

In Paris he became familiar with impressionism and started using bright colors but unstable conditions led him to seek a change of environment in the south of France. There, in Arles, he became immersed in his subjects as he painted the surrounding wheat fields and the orchards in bloom. He said “I feel like nature has spoken to me.” The artist, Paul Gauguin, joined him but soon their personalities clashed and after an argument, van Gogh went back to his apartment and in a state of intense frustration, severed the tip of his ear. City officials thought they had a madman in their midst and placed him in jail. His brother Theo arrived and Vincent volunteered to stay at an asylum in Saint-Remy until he felt better. It was agreed that while recovering he could go out into the surrounding countryside to paint when he felt like doing so. His masterpiece, “Starry Night” was painted during this period. At times when he became depressed, he stayed indoors and turned to his books. In them were paintings by artists he admired; he identified with aspects of some of their paintings and began to make copies. The reproductions, however, were not in color and, not having seen the originals, he painted them with colors of his own choice. He regarded this as being similar to a performer interpreting a musical score. Among the paintings he interpreted were Rembrandt’s “Raising of Lazarus,” and Delacroix’s “The Good Samaritan.” It is likely that his own confinement attracted him to Gustave Doré’s “Prisoners Exercising.” Because of his affliction it is likely also that he felt like a prisoner within himself.

Note

Medical science in the nineteenth century was in a primitive state and the cause of van Gogh’s illness is still unknown. In his time, it was thought it might have resulted from epilepsy, drinking too much absinthe, or even syphilis. Dr. Gachet thought it could have been caused by “…turpentine poisoning and the effects of too intense sunlight on a Nordic brain.”

Hovak Najarian © 2013

Miracle of Cana | Art for Epiphany 2C

John 2:1-11 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

Miracle of Cana
Miracle of Cana
Ivory panel
Carolingian, AD 860-70
The British Museum
This panel once decorated the cover of a Gospel Book (now in the Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt) written and illuminated by a scribe named Liuthard. Liuthard is known to have produced three manuscripts for the French king, Charles II, ‘the Bald’ (AD 838-77) which helps us to date the panel.
Click image for more information.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Miracle of Cana, Gospel Book Cover, Ivory, c. 860-870, Artist Unknown

Our sense of values is acquired partly through observations, direct experiences, and the process of enculturation. Among the materials of our natural world, we tend to be attracted visually to things that are rare and unusual. As we develop mentally, we construct a hierarchy based on experiences and the cultural values we have embraced. We learn that gold is valued more than clay; even though clay is more useful in many ways. Likewise, we respond to particular minerals and refer to them as “precious jewels.” We are attracted to ivory because of its pearly luster; it seems to welcome our touch. These materials have been treasured and used for thousands of years by people possessing power and wealth. During the middle ages, kings, popes and bishops built churches and private chapels. They also commissioned artists to enrich their surroundings with paintings, sculptures, and gospel books. Although art enhanced worship, it often served as a display of status as well.

Many gospel book covers were made of gold and embellished with jewels. Ivory’s whiteness symbolized purity and it was also a favorite material. The ivory relief carving of the Miracle of Cana, now in a museum in Darmstadt, Germany, was a cover for a manuscript that was likely made at the monastery at Reims during the time of Charles II, the grandson of Charlemagne. The cover depicts the well known story of Christ’s first miracle: Christ was with his mother, Mary, at a wedding banquet where there were many guests. When the wine vessels became empty, Mary asked her son for help. Water was poured into the empty vessels and Christ changed it into wine.

In this small relief sculpture, the story begins at the upper left side and proceeds in narrative form. The late O. M. Dalton of the British Museum described it as follows:

In the first scene, Christ and a disciple converse with the Virgin Mary while on the right, in a stacked perspective, servants wait upon guests seated at a table. In the bottom register two attendants pour water from vases on their shoulders into two of the six large amphorae. The story ends with the master of the feast in conversation with Christ.

Note

Today, the slaughter of elephants for their tusks has caused a sharp decrease in the size of herds in Africa. People with wealth and greed, however, continue to pay enormous prices for ivory and this has led to unconscionable poaching. There is a distinct possibility that within the present century elephants will no longer exist in the wild.

Painters are familiar with ivory black; a pigment with a name that seems to be a contradiction. It is made by heating ivory to a high temperature. The deep black pigment obtained from this process was used by Rembrandt for the dark background in many of his paintings.

Hovak Najarian © 2013

The Arian Baptistry | Art for Epiphany 1C

Luke 3:21-22 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

The Arian Baptistry
The Arian Baptistry
Ravenna, Italy
erected by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great
5th & 6th century, (original building, now reconstructed)
Click image for more information.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Baptism of Christ, Mosaic, Late 5th cent., Arian Baptistery, Ravenna, Italy

During the first several centuries of Christianity, the nature of Christ had not been resolved. The Roman and Eastern Churches believed Christ was one with God and the Holy Spirit, and was part of a trinity. Arius, an influential church elder in Alexandria, did not agree. He believed Christ was the Son of God but not of equal status. Roman Emperor Constantine regarded Arius a heretic and anyone spreading his teachings was threatened with death. An Ecumenical Council was called in AD 325 to meet in Nicaea for the purpose of repudiating Arianism and formulating a definitive statement about the nature of Christ. Out of this Council came the Nicene Creed. Arius, however, had a following among the Ostrogoths and they were out of Constantine’s jurisdiction. They remained Arian Christians.

Among the Arians was Theodoric the Great; a powerful Ostrogoth king who conquered Italy in AD 493 and set up his capital in Ravenna. Unlike Constantine in earlier times, Theodoric was tolerant of his subjects’ beliefs. Orthodox Catholic Christians were allowed to live under their own laws and to build and worship in separate churches. In Ravenna, there was a fifth century orthodox basilica with a baptistery (referred to here as the Orthodox Baptistery) that Theodoric could have appropriated for the Arians. Instead, he chose to build a new cathedral and baptistery. The new baptistery – known as the Arian Baptistery – was similar in design to the one built fifty years earlier at the orthodox basilica.

The ceiling mosaic of both baptisteries contains a central medallion surrounded by twelve apostles; each apostle is holding a crown placed on a veil. Both medallions show John baptizing a nude Christ standing in hip-deep water with arms hanging at his side. In the Orthodox Baptistery, John is at the left and a river god is in the water at the right with a cloth to cover Christ after the baptism. In Theodoric’s Arian Baptistery, Christ is again the central figure but John has been placed instead on the right side and the river god is on the left. The river god now is only an observer, not a participant. Uppermost in the medallion is a dove spewing water from its beak onto Christ’s head.

The two mosaics differ noticeably in the physical image of Christ. In the Orthodox Baptistery, Christ is shown to be bearded and physically fit but in the Arian Baptistery, Christ’s features are androgynous. His soft body, narrow shoulders, and face with feminine characteristics contrasts with the bearded and muscular river god nearby. A question facing early image makers was how should Christ be portrayed? How could an image of Christ project his physicality as a man and at the same time depict him as a person of tenderness, sensitivity, and spirituality?

Note

The Orthodox Baptistery also is called the Neon Baptistery. It was completed by Bishop Neon after mid fifth century.

River gods were minor Roman deities. They were said to stand watch over their domain and sometimes be of assistance.

Hovak Najarian © 2013

Rest on the Flight into Egypt | Art for Christmas 2A

What happened after the Magi left the Holy Family?

Matthew 2:13 An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt…”

Rest on the Flight into Egypt, engraving, c. 1470-75,
Martin Schongauer, 1430 -1491

Commentary by Hovak Najarian

 When Herod learned the “King of the Jews” had been born he was troubled and ordered all males at the age of two and under in Bethlehem and nearby regions, to be killed.  Joseph was warned by an angel about Herod’s plan so “he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.” 

 Martin Schongauer’s engraving is based on an account from the non-canonical Gospel of Pseudo Matthew.   It tells of a rest taken while the Holy Family was on their journey.  After three days, Mary was tired, hungry, and thirsty so they rested under a date palm; Mary looked up at the fruit but could see that it was too high to reach.  The baby Jesus said, “O tree, bend thy branches and refresh my mother with thy fruit.”  Schongauer depicts five angels bending the tree, thus allowing Joseph to reach the dates.  Jesus then asked water to flow from the roots of a palm and the family was refreshed. 

 It was a common practice for artists of this period to include symbolic content in their work.  Some of the flora and fauna in this engraving may seem gratuitous but in its day their meaning would have been understood.  The stag, a symbol for Christ and a destroyer of serpents, is standing watch through the trees in the background.  Stags shed their antlers every year and it was believed they renewed them by drinking from a spring; likewise people who drink from the spring of the spirit shed sins and are renewed.  A dandelion in the foreground on the right is a symbol of Christ’s passion and a reminder of the future that awaits the child.  The lily at the left foreground is a symbol of Mary’s purity, and at the far left is a dragon tree.  When the tree is cut it yields a red resin known as “dragon’s blood.”

 In Schongauer’s engraving, two lizards are on the trunk of the dragon tree and one is approaching it.  The presence of lizards, serpents, and dragons represents the devil and lurking danger.  At the very top of the tree is yet another symbol; a parrot.  Because a parrot has the ability to fly and talk they symbolize a messenger and are associated with the angel that brought word to Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.  In paintings of Mary, a parrot is sometimes placed on her shoulder as though it just arrived and said, “Ave Maria.” When not with Mary, a parrot may be placed high in a tree (as here in the dragon tree) where it cannot be reached by serpents.

More Information

Johannes Guttenberg invented moveable type and printed the Bible not long before Martin Schongauer engraved, “Rest on the Flight into Egypt,” but since most people could not read, art remained an essential means of learning stories of the Bible. During the fifteenth century the range of subjects expanded widely and stories about Mary were enhanced with lore. In addition to events such as the Annunciation and the Nativity, stories based on tradition often were included in illustrations of her life.

Hovak Najarian © 2013, 2020. Post updated 01.02.25


  Dragon trees are native to the Canary Islands.  It is possible that Schongauer saw one in Leipzig where the first botanical garden in Europe was established. 


This scene and folk story from The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (scroll down to chap 20) travelled to Europe becoming, with many changes, The Cherry Tree Carol.

The Cherry Tree Carol performed by Joan Baez

This “Art and Commentary” is based on the Gospel [Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23] appointed for the Second Sunday after Christmas, January 5, 2025.   After the wise men left Bethlehem (not reporting back to Herod) an angel appeared to Joseph and told him of Herod’s plan to find and kill Jesus.  Joseph was told to flee to Egypt with Jesus and Mary and not return until told. 

Images
  1. Web Gallery of Art
  2. “Dragon Tree” via Google Image Search

Hurault Gospels | Art for Christmas 1C

John 1:1 In principio erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum et Deus erat Verbum.

Hurault Gospels
Hurault Gospels
Portrait of Saint Jean and beginning of his Gospel
Reims, 2nd quarter of the 9th century
Bibliothèque nationale de France, manuscripts, Latin fol 265. 176-177
school of the Palace of Charlemagne
attributed to Greek artists of North Italy.
Click image for more information.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

 

Portrait of Saint Jean (John) and the Beginning of His Gospel, 9th Century, Illuminated Manuscript, Monastery at Reims, France

In the fifth century, Rome was sacked by Visigoths and Vandals, and threatened by Huns; it was conquered finally in AD 476 by Odoacer, a barbarian from a Germanic tribe.  The eastern portion of the Roman Empire remained free from invasion, however, and its culture continued.  Europe, on the other hand, faced very troubled times.  By the ninth century, Latin was being lost as a unifying common language and literacy had declined greatly.  Greek and Roman culture was almost forgotten.  Small kingdoms and tribes fought to control their territories and the Church tried to hold on to its power and influence.  During these unstable times, monasteries were places where literature, knowledge and Christian history was preserved.  They were centers of learning.

In the eighth century, Charles I – a Frank known as Charlemagne – fought numerous wars, formed an empire, and was determined to re-establish literacy and culture among his people.  Art played a key role in the renaissance he had in mind.  Under Charlemagne, copying and originating illuminated manuscripts was a priority and at the monastery in Reims, under Archbishop Ebbo’s direction, gospel books such as “Saint   John” were made.  The portrait of John depicted at the front of his book shows him looking out at the viewer; his seated position is a much repeated pose copied from Byzantine sources.  Although a quill and scroll are being held to indicate he is the writer of the gospel that bears his name, an eagle, the animal associated with him and included usually as an identifying feature, is missing.  The Latin text starts with the very large decorative first letter “I” and to its right the letter “N.”  The letter “N” also is large but almost hidden beneath its embellishment.  Though spaced apart, the two letters spell the word “IN” which begins the introductory words of John’s Gospel; “IN PRINCIPIO ERAT VERBUM” (“In the beginning was the word”).  The lacy designs, vines, and animal decorative work of the middle ages are not from Greek or Roman sources but the result of the assimilation of images brought into Europe by barbarian tribes.

Note

Making books at a monastery required a team of artists with specialized skills; these included not only calligraphers and painters but also people who prepared vellum, ground pigment, mixed inks, and bound books,  Often goldsmiths were employed to create a book’s cover and embellish it with precious jewels.

The city of Byzantium was founded by Greeks in the fifth century BC and named after their king, Byzas.  When the Roman Emperor Constantine moved his capital east to Byzantium in AD 330, the city was renamed Constantinople (now called Istanbul).  The eastern portion of the Roman Empire was not called the “Byzantine Empire” during its time.  Historians of the sixteenth century were responsible for that designation.

Hovak Najarian © 2012

Visitation Group | Art for Advent 4C

Luke 1:39-40 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

Visitation Group
Visitation Group
1211-25
Stone
Cathedral, Reims
GOTHIC SCULPTOR, French
(active c. 1211-1225)
Click image for more information.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

Annunciation and Visitation (Jamb Figures of the Central Portal), Stone, c. 1225-1245, Unknown Sculptors, Cathedral of Notre Dame de Reims, France

During the Gothic Period (the late middle ages) churches increased greatly in size.  Stained glass and sculpture was used extensively and the three west facing entrances (portals) were enriched with statues and ornamentation.  The central portal was always the largest and all three were recessed.  The placement of relief sculpture on the jambs (columns that support the arch over the portals) began during the Romanesque period and the tradition continued in Gothic cathedrals.  As people entered a church they walked past a receiving line of larger than life stone figures that depicted saints, church dignitaries, and heavenly beings.  On the right side of the central portal of the cathedral at Reims the Archangel Gabriel is standing next to Mary; bringing news that she is to be the mother of Christ.  To their right, two pregnant women, Elizabeth and Mary are visiting.

At first, portal figures were carved out of the same stone as the jambs.  These figures called statue columns have almost no form to their bodies and   their robes hang as though they are covering a post.  Changes took place during the “High Gothic” period, however, and at Reims, the figures have discernable human forms; their facial expressions communicate feelings.  Archangel Gabriel’s head is tilted toward Mary and there is a smile on his face.  Mary’s face suggests she is thinking about all that is to come in the future.  Parts of some of the arms have broken but it can be seen that gestures are being used to convey meaning.  This also was a time when liberation of sculpture from the wall was taking place.  Although at Reims the figures are still in relief, they are in “high relief” and almost free from the column.  Reims Cathedral was started in the early thirteenth century and work on it continued until the early Renaissance in the fifteenth century.

Note

The term “Gothic” (in the manner of the Goths) was not in use during the “Gothic Period.”  This term began to be used during the Renaissance.  The tribes that sacked Rome – the Goths – were regarded to be barbaric and uncultured.  Thus the term, “Gothic,” in reference to the time period when cathedrals were built, was intended as a derogatory term.  From the viewpoint of a Renaissance classicist, the cathedrals were monstrous, disorderly, and barbarous in form.

All large churches are not cathedrals.  The term for a bishop’s throne is “cathedra,” therefore, the bishop’s church, the church in which the bishop’s chair is located, is called a “cathedral.”  One of the largest churches in the world, St. Peter’s in Rome is not a cathedral.  St. John Lateran’s Basilica is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome.

Many cathedrals are laid out to have an east-west axis; the facade and portals facing west and the altar facing east.  Inside the church, a congregation faces the direction of the sunrise which is associated with Christ’s ascension.  Even in churches where the axis is not in an east-west direction the altar end often is referred to as being “East.”

Hovak Najarian © 2012

Saint John the Baptist | Art for Advent 3C

Luke 3:16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Saint John the Baptist (preaching)
Saint John the Baptist (preaching),
bronze sculptuer, by Auguste Rodin
Click image for more information.

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Commentary by Hovak Najarian

St. John the Baptist Preaching, 1878, Bronze, Auguste Rodin, 1840 -1917

Painting is physically easier than carving a block of stone or casting bronze; because of this, a sculptor is less likely to take exploratory chances when so much physical work is required. After the Renaissance, painters tried many new directions but sculptors tended to become conservative (an exception being Gianlorenzo Bernini during the Baroque Period) and they often followed styles set by painters and architects. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, however, French artist, Auguste Rodin, restored vitality to sculpture almost single handedly. He was a contemporary of the Impressionists but his work was not in a particular style. Instead, it was a synthesis of the best qualities of sculpture found throughout history.

Before Rodin was able to support himself as a sculptor, he spent many years creating decorative pieces while working for others. Income from a job opportunity in Belgium (he was there six years) enabled him to save money for a visit to Italy. In Italy, he saw the works of Donatello and Michelangelo and he was determined to devote full-time to sculpture when he returned. Rodin’s first piece after his return to Belgium, “The Age of Bronze,” did not fit the stilted neo-classical taste of the critics of his day and they accused him of making molds from his model’s body rather than modeling the clay. After returning to Paris in the following year, a rough, hairy, Italian man appeared at his studio and offered to model for him. Upon seeing him, Rodin recalled; “I immediately thought of a Saint John the Baptist, in other words, a man of nature, a visionary, a believer, a precursor who came to announce one greater than himself.” The model, without instructions, disrobed, went to the modeling stand and stood firmly with legs spread (“like a compass” Rodin would later say). The pose surprised and pleased Rodin who added a further touch by having an arm extended to indicate a gesture as John the Baptist was moving forward while preaching. In order not to be accused again for making molds directly from the model, Rodin made this figure larger than life.

When Rodin was a young man his sister’s death troubled him and he sought solace for two years in a monastery. Biblical subjects, however, were not a major part of his life’s work. During the late nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth century, the use of biblical themes in art diminished as artists dealt with problems of form and social issues. Other than “John the Baptist,” Rodin made several works relating to religious themes (e.g. “The Hand of God” and “The Gates of Hell”).

Note

Two bronzes were sculpted and donated to St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church by the late Francis Rich, who was a member briefly until she moved to Arizona. One bronze is a life-sized “St. Francis” and the other a small “St. Margaret.” The smaller piece was made specifically for St. Margaret’s, Palm Desert. Francis Rich studied sculpture in Paris for two years with Malvina Hoffman and also studied sculpture with Carl Milles at Cranbrook Academy of Art. Both Hoffman and Milles were students of Rodin.

Hovak Najarian © 2012