Thomas Dale's reading is focused on the monstrous imagery that is found within the cloister of St-Michel-de-Cuxa. A large portion of Dale's article is centered around Saint Bernard's comments towards the monstrous imagery within the cloister. While Bernard is against the imagery saying it serves as a distraction for the monks, Dale takes the stance that these images were believed to have been a beneficial teaching tool to the monks (Dale 405). One of the sections of Dale's article is centered around the ideal body and the monstrous one. The ideal body mentioned here by Dale is one with circular features (Dale 408). Dale discusses an illustration depicting God atop the Holy Spirit embracing the world. Furthermore, Dale also writes about Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man," which illustrates the ideal male body (408). However, it is important to observe how the body is showcased-with his arms and legs stretched out to create a circle outlined around the body. As Dale mentions, this type of imagery exhibits how man's body emit God's spirit (Dale 408). A similar concept is …show more content…
As Harpham mentions, "Confused things lead the mind to new inventions" (Harpham 20). This fits in with Dale's point of the imagery serving as a teaching tool for the monks. As the grotesque imagery can illustrate to monks the working of what an ideal body is, in this sense, the confusion can help guide a monk to the right path. For example, the confusion from the images can lead to temptation; however, as Dale brings up towards the end of the reading, he writes, "Those who have passed successfully through these stages of temptation are granted "complete inward happiness" (429). It can be argued that a monk could not reach that state had it not been for the temptation to assist him in his realization. So in that sense, the confusion caused by the imagery could, possibly, assist the
Another example of Christian iconography is The Transfiguration. It is located in the Church of Saint Catherine’s monaster...
The human form transcends throughout time persistently present in art. Dating all the way back to Paleolithic human beings our renderings of idealized forms have served many purposes. Though the Neolithic and Paleolithic purpose of these renderings is widely speculative the range of reason for these depictions ranges from idolization and worship to assertion of aristocratic and economic status even to simply serving as statements of self-expression. Amongst ruins and artifacts, sculptures of ancient cultures demonstrate the ways in which humans perceptions of what is aesthetically desirable have progressed. Two idealized sculptures the Woman from Willendorf and the Khafre statue with approximately 21,500 years separating their individual gestations this demonstrate the stylistic progression of idealized imagery through time.
...such as extreme spiritual austerities can hold their place in history because they mattered to the people who practiced them, not necessarily because they were an agent for driving change. Bynum rejects morally absolutist reconstructions of the past in favour of a more relativistic reading which delves into the imagination and subconscious of the medieval writers themselves. She meets them, as much as possible, in their own milieu rather than projecting modern constructions (such as ‘anorexia nervosa’) into the past where they serve little use in our understanding of the medieval mind. Despite her close work with the Annalist School, Bynum makes no attempt toward ‘l’Histoire Totale’ or some grand narrative of the past, and in this regard the work is most honest, thought-provoking, and definitive for 21st century scholars studying the medieval mind and its times.
Julian of Norwich lived during a time of great fear dominated by economic and physical hardships, feudal era of control, fear of death from the bubonic plague, corruption within the church’s hierarchy and doubt and insincerity was rampant amongst believers. Living a simple existence she depende...
Nearly 400 miles south of Chartres is the charming town of Toulouse, France. Now home to one of the most well-known of the Romanesque churches, Toulouse was once an important site for pilgrims traveling across Europe on a journey down to Old Saint Peter’s. During the Middle Ages into the Gothic period, the pilgrimage to Rome was less about the end result than it was about the journey there. Europe was littered with dozens of pilgrimage churches, each housing precious relics that had once belonged to Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and the saints. The difficult trek made it the ultimate way to atone for one’s sins, particularly if one was determined and visited all of the correct churches in Europe. And yet, the pilgrims were all united as they attended Mass at each church; no matter where they were on the continent, the Eucharisst was celebrated in Greek, and then in Latin towards the end of the period (Fischer). In the case of Toulouse, it was home to Saint-Sernin. Like most churches on the pilgrim’s path, it was massive, capable of holding a large number of pilgrims. It’s q...
At first glance, one might assume Raymond Carver’s "Cathedral" illustrates the awakening of an insensitive and insulated husband to the world of a blind man. However, this literal awakening does not account for the fact that the husband awakens also to a world of religious insight, of which he has also been blind. The title and story structure are the first indicators of the importance of the religious thesis. It is also revealed when one examines the language and actions of the characters in the story. Finally, Carver’s previous and subsequent writings give an overall background for the argument that "Cathedral" has a significant religious import.
Another Magnificent piece of artwork is Leonardo's sketch of a man within a circle. Vitruvius adding a quote to the piece later on, "man in his perfect proportions, is the center of all things", suggests that this piece was influenced by humanism. We say this because the piece portrays a mere man as the center instead of what the catholics may haved placed, that which god would be in the center of the circle. Catholics, Priests, and church officials alike would not approve of this irrational idea and the sketch itself.
As I walked into the first gallery, I saw a wood sculpture that stood in the center of the room. This carving depicted “the crucified Christ, flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist with Angels holding instruments of the Passion”. It was painted oak and very appealing to the eye. It stood approximately 15 feet in the air. The origin of this sculpture is unknown, but it was found in a Belgium church. This kind of sculpture usually stood at the entrance or at the center of the alter in the church facing the congregation. This image of the suffering Christ relates to the Christian ideas of suffering and Christ’s salvation of all mankind.
Ziggy Marley once said, “God is like the sun. When the sun shines, it shines for everyone. God is for everyone.” In the same way, Abbot Suger built the Basilica of St. Denis so that sunlight would flood throughout the building and symbolize the power of God inviting visitors into the cathedral. The Basilica of St. Denis was an artistic response to the rise of the Catholic Church’s power for it was modeled to be a physical representation of heaven, which the church heavily preached upon. (Thesis) As the basilica represented the shift from Romanesque architecture to Gothic, Abbot Suger introduced new techniques that transformed cathedrals to look more spacious and “heavenly”. (Map Statement #1-Art History) By allowing sunlight to come through the large windows, Abbot Suger instilled the Neo-Platonic idea that the sun was the physical representation of God. (Map Statement #2 –Philosophy) Also, at that time, the church was rising in power, so the new structural style of the basilica brought more converts and eventually more power to the church. (Map Statement #3 –Social Institutions) [Insert Literature Map Statement] The Basilica of St. Denis was built so that worshippers would be in awe of the “heaven-like” setting, which would cause more people to declare their faith to God and to the church.
A cathedral, besides being a grand and aesthetically pleasing architectural work, carries a very meaningful and symbolic connotation to it that has been building up for thousands of years. It is a place where one can find truth and strive for eternal happiness. The cathedral symbolizes equality and answers to all that humans seek out to find in the non-material world. Because of this benevolent and mystical connotation, drawing a cathedral had a profound effect on the narrator in terms of his wisdom and spirituality.
In The Sacred & The Profane: A Nature of Religion, Mircea Eliade attempts to define the sacred by stating it is “the opposite of the profane” (pg. 10). Through out the book he tries to explain this statement through the concept of hierophany (the idea that one can experience, sensorily, the manifestation of the holy/sacred), however his main explanation of the sacred being “the opposite of the profane” is the comparison of a modern religious man and a modern non-religious man (a profane man). Eliade compares the two by explaining how each would react to space, time, nature, and life. This essay will explain the idea of sacred space, how a religious and a profane man would experience it, and how the idea of sacred space might be applied to the study of medieval art and architecture.
Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron is a series of tales written during the Late Middle Ages that is meant to entertain the reader. While the entertainment value of Boccaccio’s work in undeniable, the Decameron also provides the reader with information about society at the time, and Boccaccio’s own worldview. One of the most prevalent themes throughout the Decameron is the portrayal of clergymen and members of religious communities as negative influences on those around them, constantly behaving in a manner unfit for those who are supposed to be moral and spiritual exemplars. Throughout the tales told by the lieta brigada, many priests, and friars are portrayed as being extremely lustful and greedy, frequently indulging in sex (often with the wives of other men), and living lives more befitting of a minor lord than a monk. Those clergymen who are not portrayed as out rightly immoral are usually stupid, and are unable to stop others from acting immorally because of their ignorance. Despite this, a few of the clergymen in the story are shown as ultimately having good intentions, or improving in morality through the actions of another. To understand all of these criticisms of the clergy, we must look at them through a historical lens, and observe the behavior of members of the Church in the Late Middle Ages. Finally, these analyses of the Decameron’s portrayal of clergymen may give us insight into Boccaccio’s own faith, and allow us to understand the motives of the author. In this essay, I will analyze the portrayal of clergymen and members of religious communities in Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron. I will focus on the licentiousness, greed, and stupidity of these members of the Church, while also evaluating the few portrayals of good me...
The masculine and idealized form of the human body is an ever-present characteristic of Michelangelo’s sculpture. Many people over the years have speculated why this may be, but there has never been a definitive answer, and probably never will be. Through all of his sculpture there is a distinct classical influence, with both his subject matter and his inclination to artistically create something beautiful. In most cases, for Michelangelo, this means the idealized human figure, seeping with contraposto. This revival of classical influences is common for a Renaissance artisan, but the new, exaggerated form of the human body is new and unique to Michelangelo’s artistic style.
Racism in the Ballet World, and How Misty Copeland Changed it. Racism in our world, and especially in America, has been a problem for centuries. In the ballet community especially, the people in power have always been predominantly white as well as the dancers. Misty Coapland helped break the race barrier when she joined ABT as a principal dancer, as well as starting her own company to help the new generation of dancers and to combat racism and classism. Misty Copeland was born into a family with financial instability.
When I was a child I used to be frightened of entering such a place for it seemed so imposing and somewhat dangerous, especially when music was being played. One day, in order to keep a promise I had made, I saw myself forced to enter. It took me quite a while to get the courage to pass through the old oak door, but the moment I stepped in, I realized just how enchanting and breathtaking this building could be. Its fantastic architecture and exquisite frescoes reflect perfectly the unity between this earth and the unseen kingdom of angels in such a manner that one cannot say where one ends and the other begins. The way in which the church was built is also the vivid testimony of a medieval period. Although it is a place that can sometimes be cold and ask for respect it is where prayers are answered and magic is done. An overwhelming feeling of inner harmony takes over you once you enter and God seems much closer. Darkness and light are welded perfectly together creating Redemption’s house. The tower allows you to see the entire town from the smallest river to the biggest building site, offering you its mightiness.