Inspiracje tekstów starotestamentalnych i apokryfów żydowskich w średniowiecznych wyobrażeniach scenicznych Księgi Rodzaju

• Authors: Urszula Mazurczak

Title variants

EN

Inspirations of Old Testament Texts and Jewish Apocrypha in Medieval Scenic Representations of the Book of Genesis

Abstracts

EN

The iconography of the Book of Genesis has been elaborated on in extensive studies in which connections with the biblical text and commentaries, mainly patristic, have been demonstrated. In the state of research gathered on this subject by U. Mazurczak in ‘Das Sechstagewerk in der Ikonographie des Mittelalters. Forschungsstand und Forschungsperspektiven’ (Acta Mediaevalia 8:1995) the author pointed out crucial research problems which were worth further studying in the iconography of ‘Genesis’. Moreover, in a book published in 2012 Human corporeality in medieval Italian painting (Vol. 1. Lublin 2012) the issues of the created body and its significance in the realm of medieval anthropology were presented. In the present study selected texts of Jewish apocrypha and philosophical com¬mentators, which inspired Christian representations of illustrations for the Book of Genesis: the creation of man and his sojourn in the paradise as well as his departure after the original sin, have been pointed out. Jewish tradition in the images of angels in the illustrations of Cotton’s Bible, repeated on mosaics in the narthex of St. Mark’s Church in Venice has been also indicated. Those figures bear resemblance to the texts by Philo of Alexandria who explained the significance of angels appearing next to God in the subsequent days in his commentary On the creation of the world. The number of angels from the first to the seventh refers to each day being created. Elements of Jewish tradition can be also traced in the famous Bible of Czerwińsk (1148-1155), destroyed during World War II, where God the Creator was depicted together with three angels. God the Father anoints the first angel with the same gesture as he touches Adam’s forehead, which is shown in the following medallion. In this way Philo interpreted the creation of mind as stamping it with the wisdom of God the Creator who imprinted his stigma in man’s mind. The apocrypha called the Book of Jubilees was of significant importance—the list of angels’ (residents’ of heaven) powers was enumerated there. They rule over cosmic powers and over man on the earth. In the Book the dialogical form between God and the angels is developed and the gesture of touch is also explained here as it was presented in a codex once stored in Polish collection. The touch is a sign of the deep connection between man and Yahweh who reveals himself in a special way on the day of Sabbath—The Day of God’s Glory. With the sign of touching Adam’s forehead God gave his blessing to man on the seventh day, namely the day of consecration. In a codex stored in the National Library in Vienna and called the Vienna Genesis the scene of the parents going beyond the gates of paradise after the original sin was developed, in turn. A classic motif of an angel standing next to the gates of paradise was enriched with the second female figure, a personification which is deprived of signs of sanctity but is standing close to Adam and Eve. The miniaturist enriched the image of the paradise gates with a motif of blazing but not burning out rims of circles. The female personification, exposed by means of the smartness of clothes and proportionally exceeding all the figures of the scene including the angel, was identified with the personification of Wisdom. The author points out the personification of Divine Law here. In Liber Graduum, a compilation of Gnostic and Hebrew texts, its author concentrated on a description of the sin and the grace of God received by the parents. Before having committed the sin they experienced only God’s love in the paradise, however, after the sin they experienced Divine Mercy, together with Divine Law. The figure in Vienna Genesis standing beyond the gate next to the parents is the figure of the Law given by the merciful God to them.

Keywords

PL

ikonografia stworzenia człowieka; średniowieczna antropologia obrazu; symbolika Prawa

EN

iconography of the creation of man; medieval anthropology of image figure of the Law

• Publisher: Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II. Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL
• Journal: Roczniki Kulturoznawcze
• Year: 2013
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 051-072

Contributors

author

Urszula Mazurczak

• Katedra Historii Sztuki Średniowiecznej Powszechnej w Instytucie Historii Sztuki KUL

References

• Bettini S., Puppi L., La chiesa degli Eremitani di Padova. Vicenza: Neri Pozza Editore 1970.
• Blumenkranz J., Le Juif médiéval au miroir de l’art chrétien. Paris 2009.
• Erffa H.M., Ikonologie der Genesis: Die christlichen Bildthemen aus dem Alten Testament und ihre Quellen. München 1983.
• Filon Aleksandryjski: Pisma. T. I: O stworzeniu świata. Alegorie praw, O dekalogu, O cnotach. Przeł., wstępem opatrzył L. Joachimowicz. Warszawa 1986.
• O gigantach. W: Filon Aleksandryjski. Pisma. T. II. Z greckiego przeł. S. Kalin-kowski. Kraków: Wydawnictwo WAM 1994.
• O niezmienności Boga. W: Filon Aleksandryjski. Pisma. T. II. Kraków: Wydaw-nictwo WAM 1994.
• Gargan L., La cultura a Venezia, Padova, Treviso e Vicenza nei secoli IX-XIII. W: Storia della cultura Veneta dalle origini al Trecento. Milano: Neri-Pozza Editore 1977.
• Goodenough E.R., Jewish Symbols in the Graeco-Roman Period. Vol. X: Symbolism in the Dura Synagogue. New York 1964.
• Grabar A., Christian Iconography. A Study on its Origins. Princeton 1968.
• Kitzinger E., Demus O., Die Mosaiken von San Marco in Venedig 1100-1300. Wien 1935.
• Kowalski A., Perfezione e Giustizia di Adamo nel Liber Graduum. Roma 1989. Orientalia Christiana Analecta 232.
• Księga Henocha, Księga Henocha Hebrajska. Przeł. R. Rubinkiewicz. W: Apokryfy Starego Tes¬ta-mentu. Oprac. i wstęp R. Rubinkiewicz. Warszawa: Wyd. Vocatio 1999.
• Księga Jubileuszów 2. Opis sześciu dni stworzenia. W: Apokryfy Starego Testamentu. Oprac. i wstęp R. Rubinkiewicz. Warszawa: Wyd. Vocatio 1999.
• Lindsberg G., Studien zum Neutestamentlichen Schopfungsgedanken. Uppsala 1952.
• Marini Clarelli M.V., I giorni della creazione nel “Genesi Cotton”. „Orientalia christiana periodica” 50:1984 s. 65-90.
• Matuszewski S., Filozofia Filona z Aleksandrii i jej wpływ na wczesne chrześcijaństwo. Warszawa 1962.
• Mazurczak U.M., Aniołowie w obrazie pierwszego dnia stworzenia w Biblii Czerwińskiej. Z kręgu ikonografii Genesis w sztuce średniowiecznej. „Acta Mediaevalia” 13:2000 s. 53-74.
• Cielesność człowieka w średniowiecznym malarstwie Italii. T. I. Lublin: Wydawnictwo KUL 2012.
• Das Sechstagewerk in der Ikonographie des Mittelalters. Forschungsstand und Forschungs-perspektiven. „Acta Mediaevalia” 8:1995 s. 117-134.
• Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu w przekładzie z języków oryginalnych [Biblia Tysiąc-lecia]. Poznań–Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Pallotinum 1971.
• Radice A., Platonismo e creazione in Filone di Alessandria. Metafisica del platonismo nel suo svi-luppo storico e nella filosofia patristica (7). Milano 1989.
• Ratzinger J., Der Geist der Liturgie. Eine Einführung. Freiburg 2000.
• Riesenfelda H., The Resurrection in Ezekiel XXXVII in the Dura Europos Painting. W: No Graven Images Studies in Art and the Hebrew Bible. New York 1973 s. 120-155.
• Sawicka S., Straty wojenne zbiorów polskich w dziedzinie rękopisów iluminowanych. W: Dzieje sztuki polskiej. T. I. Cz. 1: Sztuka polska przedromańska i romańska do schyłku XIII wieku. Red. A. Gieysztor, M. Walicki, J. Zachwatowicz. Warszawa 1969.
• Seidel L., Nudity as Natural Garment: Seeing Through Adam and Eve’s Skin. W: The Meanings of Nudity in Medieval Art. Ed. S.C.M. Lindquist. London 2012 s. 207-231.
• Szram M., Duchowy sens liczb w alegorycznej egzegezie aleksandryjskiej II-V wieku. Lublin 2001.
• Św. Ambroży: Hexaemeron. Tł. O.W. Szołdrski. Warszawa 1969. Pisma Starochrześcijańskich Pisarzy t. IV.
• Thompson E.M., Catalogue of Ancient Manuscripts in the British Library. Part 1: Greek. London 1881.
• Tikkanen J.J., Die Genesismosaiken von San Marco in Venedig und ihr Verhältnis zu den Miniaturen der Cottonbibel nebst einer Untersuchung über den Ursprung der mittelalterlichen Genesisdarstellung besonders in der byzantinischen und italienischen Kunst. Helsingfors 1889. Acta Societatis Scientiarum Fennicae Bd. 17.
• Tretti C., Enoch e la sapienza celeste. Alle origini della mistica ebraica. Assoziazione Italiana per lo Studio del Giudaismo. Firenze: Giuntina 2007. Testi e Studi 20.
• Weitzmann K., The Mosaics of San Marco and the Cotton Genesis. W: Venezia e Europa. Atti del XVIII Congresso internazionale di storia dell’Arte, Venezia, 12-18 settembre 1955. Venezia [1956].
• Zahlten J., Creatio Mundi: Darstellungen der sechs Schöpfungstage und naturwissenschaftliches Weltbild im Mittelalter. Stuttgart: Klett-Gotta 1979. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Geschichte und Politik Bd. 13.
• Zimmermann B., Die Wiener Genesis im Rahmen der antiken Buchmalerei. Ikonographie, Darstellung, Illustrationsverfahren und Aussageintention. Wiesbaden 2003.