Art and the Christian Apocrypha

2001·22.97 MB·English

by  David R. Cartlidge

ART AND TIlE
CHRISTIAN APOCRYPHA
The Christian canon of scripture, known as the New Testament, excluded many of
rhe church's rradirional stories abom: its origins. These apocrypha included well-known
ules such as those of Lhe ox and the ass aL Lhe NativiLy, the Assumption of Lhe Virgin,
and the martyrdoms of St Peter and of St PauL Ah:hough not in "[he Bible, [hese
popular stories have had a powerful influence on the church's tradirions and theology)
and a particularly marked eHect on visual representations of Christian belief
This book provides a]ucid introduction to the relationship between the apocryphnJ
texts etnd the paintings, mosaics etnd sculpture in which they are frequently paralleled)
and which have been so signiticarn: in trans mini n,g these non-Biblical stories to gener
arions of churchgoers. It reveals rhe enduring power of rhe Chrisrian apocrypha in
both text and ,lrc, and displays the artworks themselves in a new light.
The volume conmins more than 100 photographs, and numerous extracts from the
apocryphal texts.
David R. Cartlidge is 13eeson Professor Emeritus of Religion at Nlaryville College,
Tennessee, L:SA.
J.
Keith Elliott is Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism at the University
of Leeds, lJK.
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ART AND
THE CHRISTIAN
APOCRYPHA
David R. Cartlidge
and}. Keith Elliott
§} Routledge
~ ~ Taylor & Francis Group
LONDON AND NEW YORK
Firsr published 2001
by Routledge
2 Park Square, 1Ylilron Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Simulraneously published in rhe USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
© 2001 David R. Cartlidge and J. Keirh Elliott
Typeser in Garamond by
Florence Producrion Lrd, Sroodleigh, Devon
All righrs reserved. No parr of rhis book may be reprinred
or reproduced or urilised in any form or by any elecrronic, mechanical, or
orher means, now known or hereafrer invenred, including phorocopying and
recording, or in any informarion srorage or rerrieval sysrem, wirhour
permission in wriring from rhe publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A caralogue record for rhis book is available from rhe Brirish Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A caralog record for rhis book has been requesred
ISBN 978-0-415-23392-7 (Pbk)
ISBN 978-0-415-23391-0 (hbk)
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations Vll
Permissions and Acknowledgements Xl11
Preface xv
Introduction 1
1 Text, Art and the Christian Apocrypha 8
2 Mary 21
3 Images of the Christ 47
4 The Life and Mission of Jesus 74
5 Paul, Thecla and Peter 134
6 Apostles and Evangelists 172
Notes 236
Bibliography 257
Index of Extracts from Apocryphal Texts 267
General Index 269
v
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ILL USTRATIONS
1.1 Teaching scene and orant. Sarcophagus, Museo Pio Cristiano, Vatican 12
1.2 The Nativity of Christ and the Magi observing a star. Sarcophagus
fragment, Musee lapidaire d'art chretien, Arles 17
1.3 Nativity. Sarcophagus lid fragment, Church ofS. Ambrose, Milan 19
2.1 The making of the portrait of the Virgin and the Christ-child.
Manuscript illumination, Monastery of Esphigmenou, Mount Athos,
Greece 22
2.2 Giotto: Joachim and Anna meet at the Golden Gate. Fresco, Cappella
degli Scrovegni, Padua 24
2.3 Giotto: The Birth of the Virgin. Fresco, Cappella degli Scrovegni, Padua 2S
2.4 Giotto: The Procession of Virgins to the Temple or The Wedding
Procession of the Virgin and Joseph. Fresco, Cappella degli Scrovegni,
Padua 26
2.5 The miracle of the flowering rod. Fresco, Kariye Djami, Istanbul 27
2.6 The Virgin's first steps. Fresco, Kariye Djami, Istanbul 28
2.7 Procession of virgins escorting Mary to the Temple or Parable of
the Ten Virgins. Fresco, house church at Dura Europos 34
2.8 Procession of virgins and S. Thecla in the flames. Fresco, Christian
necropolis at the Kharga Oasis, EI Bagawat, Egypt 37
2.9 The Virgin preaching in the Temple. Drawing of a carving,
St Maximin, Provence 38
2.10 Above: The Annunciation to Anna in the garden, with elements (the
birds in the trees) of Anna's lament. Below: The affront to Anna by
the presentation of the headband. Ivory, The State Hermitage
Museum, St Petersburg 39
2.11 Albrecht Durer: The Presentation of the Virgin for Temple Service.
Woodcut, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA 43
2.12 The Dormition of the Virgin (Koimesis). Manuscript illumination,
British Libraty 44
2.13 The Dormition of the Virgin (Koimesis). Manuscript illumination,
Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbiittel 4S
3.1 Thaddeus, King Abgar and four Saints. Abgar holds the Mandylion.
Icon, Monastery of S. Catherine, Mount Sinai 49
3.2 Veronica holds the sudarium on which is the Image of Christ.
Manuscript illumination, Ambrosian Library 50
Vll
ILL USTRATIONS
3.3 The Good Shepherd. Marble statuette, Asia Minor, probably Phrygia
(Central Turkey) 56
3.4 'La Divina Pastora.' Fresco, Mission San Xavier, Tucson, AZ 57
3.5 Christ as helmsman; the Evangelists as oarsmen. Sarcophagus
fragment, Museo Pio Cristiano, Vatican 63
3.6 Christ as a young boy. Statuette, Museo N azionale delle T erme,
Rome 65
3.7 Christ in Majesty, surrounded by the Vision of Ezekiel. Apse mosaic,
Church of Hosios David, Thessalonica 67
3.8 Portrait of S. John the Evangelist; Christ in three forms: Pantocrator,
Ancient of Days and Immanuel. Manuscript illumination,
Bibliotheque nationale, Paris 70
3.9 Diptych ofS. Lupicin. Ivory book cover, Bibliotheque nationale, Paris 71
3.10 Diptych ofS. Lupicin. Ivory book cover, Bibliotheque nationale, Paris 72
4.1 Cross-reliquary. Enamel, Sancta Sanctorum, Vatican 76
4.2 The Annunciation to the Virgin at a well. Mosaic, Kariye Djami,
Istanbul 79
4.3 Annunciation to the Virgin. Icon, Monastery of S. Catherine,
Mount Sinai 81
4.4 Annunciation to the Virgin. Sculpture, Princeton University Chapel 82
4.5 Annunciation to the Virgin. Manuscript illumination, British
Library 83
4.6 Annunciation to the Virgin. Sculpture, Marienkapelle am Markt,
Wiirzburg 84
4.7 Annunciation to the Virgin. Manuscript illumination, Austrian
National Library, Vienna 85
4.8 Joseph's farewell to the Virgin and Joseph's remonstrating with the
Virgin (partially destroyed). Mosaic, Kariye Djami, Istanbul 86
4.9 The Water Trial of the Virgin. Ivory plaque, Museo Arcivescovile,
Ravenna 87
4.10 A child warns Joseph to heed the Virgin's words on the journey
to Bethlehem. Manuscript illumination, Ambrosian Library 88
4.11 Salome extends her withered arm for help. Ivory plaque, John Rylands
U niversi ty Library, Manchester 91
4.12 Salome extends her withered arm for help. Manuscript illumination,
Ambrosian Library 92
4.13 Salome preaches to women. Manuscript illumination, Ambrosian
Library 93
4.14 Edmundo Arburola: 'Noel! Noel!' Contemporary art, Nicaragua 95
4.15 The Flight to Egypt/Arrival in Sotina. Mosaic, Church ofS. Maria
Maggiore, Rome 98
4.16 The Flight to Egypt/The Miracle of the Date Palm Tree. Wooden
ceiling panel, Church of S. Martin, Zillis, Switzerland 99
4.17 The Flight to Egypt/The Miracle of the Date Palm Tree. Manuscript
illumination, Ambrosian Library 100
4.18 The Rest on the Flight to Egypt. Wooden ceiling panel, Church of
S. Martin, Zillis, Switzerland 101
Vl11
ILLUSTRATIONS
4.19 The Miracle of the Lions and Panthers. Manuscript illuminations,
Ambrosian Library 103
4.20 Albrecht Durer: The Sojourn in Egypt. Woodcut, Boston Museum of
Fine Arts, Boston, MA 105
4.21 Jesus vivifies clay birds. Wooden ceiling panel, Church of S. Martin,
Zillis, Switzerland 108
4.22 Jesus carries water in his cloak. Manuscript illumination, Ambrosian
Library 109
4.23 Jesus heals a woodsman who cut himself with an axe. Manuscript
illumination, Ambrosian Library 110
4.24 Jesus and the dyer Salem. Manuscript illumination, Ambrosian
Library 112
4.25 Jesus stretches a plank. Manuscript illumination, Ambrosian
Library 114
4.26 Jesus and the Doctors in the Temple. Wooden ceiling panel, Church
of S. Martin, Zillis, Switzerland 117
4.27 The Baptism of Christ. Manuscript illumination, British Library 119
4.28 The Entrance into Jerusalem. Ivory, State Museum, Berlin 121
4.29 The arrest of Jesus/Pilate washing his hands. Sarcophagus sculpture,
Museo Pio Cristiano, Vatican 123
4.30 Cursor lays his cloak before Christ. Manuscript illumination,
Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid 124
4.31 Crucifixion of Christ. Wooden carving, Church of S. Sabina,
Rome 126
4.32 Crucifixion of Christ, with thieves named. Icon, Monastery of
S. Catherine, Mount Sinai 127
4.33 Anastasis. Manuscript illumination, Herzog August Bibliothek,
Wolfenbiittel 129
4.34 Anastasis. Stained glass, Church of Hagios Giorgios,
Knoxville, TN 130
4.35 Resurrection of Christ. Manuscript illumination, Utrecht
University Library 131
4.36 The Ascension of Christ, with James and Peter. Ivory, Bayerisches
National Museum, Munich 132
5.1 Paul and Peter meeting in Rome. Ivory belt buckle, Antiquarium,
Castellammare di Stabia, Italy 137
5.2 Portrait of Paul. Stained glass window, New Providence Presbyterian
Church, Maryville, TN 140
5.3 Portrait of Peter. Icon, Monastery of S. Catherine, Mount Sinai 141
5.4 The arrest of Paul. Sarcophagus sculpture, Museo Pio Cristiano,
Vatican 145
5.5 Tree sarcophagus with the arrest of Peter and the arrest of Paul.
Sculpture, Museo Pio Cristiano, Vatican 146
5.6 The Martyrdoms of Paul and Peter. Manuscript illumination,
British Library 147
5.7 Saints Paul and Thecla and the stoning of S. Paul. Ivory, British
Museum, London 148
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