The Temple in the Iconography of Early Christian Art Carla Gomez ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

y only one scholar. The work in question is the Annunciation on the triumphal arch of Santa Maria Maggiore. Pietro Toesca notes that this section of the mosaic follows the Proto-Gospel of James and depicts the Virgin Mary sitting by the Temple, in which the angels have fed her since her childhood. 61 All other scholars maintain that she is sitting by her own house, some adding that it has the form of a temple just as Joseph's does in the parallel scene. 62 Leclercq, without referring at all to the building, also states that the scene is taken from the Proto- Gospel of James but identifies it as Mary spinning the purple thread that will be used to weave the curtain screening the Holy of Holies in the Temple. 63 However, nowhere in this Proto-gospel is it said that Mary receives the Annunciation sitting by the Temple, thus making Toesca's attribution inexplicable. It would seem, therefore, that this structure should not be numbered among depictions of the Temple. Conclusions Any examination of the depictions of the Temple, as clearly shown in this article, must inevitably lead to the conclusion that no uniform tradition exists for such depiction. In the majority of instances the Temple is merely indicated by means of one or another architectural elements and only the context permits its positive identification. Even when a complete building is depicted, its structure is far from observing the historical facts. The Temple, as presented in Early Christian art, was based, in most instances, on pagan edifices. There were many such examples still standing and they appeared in various works of art. The general form was a square structure built of hewn stone, with a pediment and sloping tiled roof, and a façade with two or four columns. This basic model might be supplemented with other details such as curtains or a lamp hanging at its entrance or a flight of steps leading up to the building. Even when the Temple is depicted more than once in the same work or the same building, each representation is different, such as in Sant' Apollinare Nuovo. Furthermore, the architectural elements used to depict the Jerusalem Temple are not exclusive but also figure in other scenes connected to the life of Jesus. In the majority of the works of art, it is the Temple exterior that is depicted. Only two works also attempt to portray its interior - the mosaic in the Theotokos Chapel on Mount Nevo and the Northumbrian casket. Despite the geographical distance between these two places, the basic conception and even the form of representation is similar. Did a common model serve them both? We have no clear answer to this question. The earliest work mentioned here is the early fourth century (335 C.E.) wooden lintel from Egypt (fig. 4) but the identification of the dome depicted 76
on it as the symbol of the Temple is doubtful. Two other works from Egypt of the fourth or early fifth centuries demonstrate that local artists there were among the first to illustrate New and Old Testament themes. Many more Temple depictions are to be found from the fifth and sixth centuries. Outstanding among those of the fifth century is the number of works from the so-called 'minor' arts - wood carvings and especially ivory carvings. Although ivory carvings are also to be found from the sixth century, a large number of the Temple depictions of that period belong to monumental art - wall and floor mosaics. From the seventh and eighth centuries, only a few examples have come to light. Artists expressed themselves in a variety of media. The minor arts included ivory, whalebone, and manuscript illuminations. The raw materials used and the rare skills required would have made these works extremely valuable. They would most probably have been private commissions for wealthy individuals rather than for groups of the faithful. The monumental works of arts, especially the mosaics, would have by their nature been open to public view and familiar to many. Mosaics have been found in Italy and Jordan: in Italy (Rome and Verona) on church walls or triumphal arches; in Jordan (Mount Nevo) on church floors, they are among the later works of art and do not depict Gospel scenes. Italy also comes to the fore as a source for most of the ivories, with only two from Armenia. The Temple is mainly depicted in scenes directly connected to Christianity - events narrated in the New Testament or the Apocryphal gospels - but there are also exceptions. Old Testament contexts feature Melchizedek and Jeremiah; the Temple is also depicted without human figures (fig. 5) and in a historical context. Many of the depictions, including the minor works of art, are part of a cycle of scenes, mostly of the life of Mary or Jesus. With the sole exception of the Northumbrian casket, which presents scenes from a variety of religious and historical contexts and was probably commissioned by a secular noble for non-ceremonial use, 64 it is quite clear that all the works, minor and monumental, were created in Christian religious contexts. 77 NOTES 1 Berthier, 1910, f.24. 2 Venturi, 1967, 480; Kondakoff, 1877, 369. 3 Berthier, 1910, 165-166; Fig.24. 4 Volbach, 1961, 330, Fig.101; Hadas, 1966, 178, Fig. on 177; Natanson, 1953, no.17; Venturi, 1967, 510, Fig.382.
Page 1 and 2: J The Temple in the Iconography of
Page 3 and 4: scene as Jesus healing the blind ma
Page 5 and 6: the two already cited, a third cons
Page 7 and 8: acceptable, in spite of the anachro
Page 9 and 10: Leclercq claims the various anachro
Page 11 and 12: Fig. 3: Toledo, St. Salvador Church
Page 13 and 14: Fig. 5: Jordan, Mount Nebo, Church
Page 15 and 16: each painstakingly reproduced by th
Page 17: of mythological tales. The inscript
Page 21 and 22: 26 Matthiae, 1965, 48-49, Fig.34. 2
Page 23 and 24: Delbrueck 1945: R. Delbrueck, "The

The Temple in the Iconography of Early Christian Art Carla Gomez ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?