Jesu födelse i ord och bild
The Birth of Christ: a study of verbal and pictorial representations
Author
Editor
- Alf Härdelin
- Sven-Erik Brodd
Summary, in English
The present paper is a comparative study, concerning the birth of Christ as described in pictorial and verbal narrative. These are represented by Scandinavian wall-paintings on the one hand and the Legenda Aurea (LA) c. 1264, Meditationes Vitae Christi (MVChr) c 1300, and the Revelations of S Bridget (RSB) c 1370, on the other.It takes its departure in the Romanesque picture of the Christchild in the manger and Mary watching over her child, showing the event after the fact.
LA and MvChr are the examined in relation to the pictorial tradition. Whereas LA shows a very slight correspondence to this (if any), MVChr seems to a certain extent to interact with it in iconographical detail, while in aim and mentality it corresponds e g to the remarkably everyday scenes of Brönnestad (Scania, c 1440).
In the RSB different phases of the events of the birth of Christ are described, while the pictures of the 15th century move their scope closer to a description of the dramatic moment, while retaining and expressing meaning on different levels. The paintings of Undløse (Sealand c 1426) and Husby-Sjutolft (Uppland c 1480) show the moments after the birth as seen through the eyes of S Bridget.
Through the manger/altar of Elmelunde (Mön c 1500) and the church in the birth-scene of Skivholme (Jutland, shortly after 1500) the pictures are invested with eucharistic implications, and the kneeling Mary becomes an example to Man in her veneration of Christ. Through juxtaposing the birth of Christ with Mary as Mater Dolorosa, the picture in Skivholme also implies a later train of events in Mary's life as the Mother of Christ.
LA and MvChr are the examined in relation to the pictorial tradition. Whereas LA shows a very slight correspondence to this (if any), MVChr seems to a certain extent to interact with it in iconographical detail, while in aim and mentality it corresponds e g to the remarkably everyday scenes of Brönnestad (Scania, c 1440).
In the RSB different phases of the events of the birth of Christ are described, while the pictures of the 15th century move their scope closer to a description of the dramatic moment, while retaining and expressing meaning on different levels. The paintings of Undløse (Sealand c 1426) and Husby-Sjutolft (Uppland c 1480) show the moments after the birth as seen through the eyes of S Bridget.
Through the manger/altar of Elmelunde (Mön c 1500) and the church in the birth-scene of Skivholme (Jutland, shortly after 1500) the pictures are invested with eucharistic implications, and the kneeling Mary becomes an example to Man in her veneration of Christ. Through juxtaposing the birth of Christ with Mary as Mater Dolorosa, the picture in Skivholme also implies a later train of events in Mary's life as the Mother of Christ.
Department/s
Publishing year
1996
Language
Swedish
Pages
431-444
Publication/Series
[Host publication title missing]
Volume
Maria i Sverige under tusen år
Document type
Conference paper
Publisher
Artos & Norma
Topic
- Art History
Keywords
- iconography
- medieval wall-paintings
- medieval images
- mural paintings
- birth of Christ
- pictorial narrativity
Conference name
Maria i Sverige under tusen år : föredrag vid symposiet i Vadstena 6-10 oktober 1994 / utgivna av Sven-Erik Brodd och Alf Härdelin
Conference date
1994-10-06 - 1994-10-10
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISBN: 9175801345