Sacred and legendary art, volume 1 (of 2): Containing legends of the angels and archangels, the evangelists, the Apostles, the doctors of the church, and St. Mary magdalene, as represented in the fine arts.Jameson, Mrs. (Anna)
Religion
Sacred and legendary art, volume 1 (of 2): Containing legends of the angels and archangels, the evangelists, the Apostles, the doctors of the church, and St. Mary magdalene, as represented in the fine arts.
Jameson, Mrs. (Anna)
Christian art and symbolism; Christian saints in art
The next event of importance is the separation of the Twelve Apostles
when they disperse to preach the Gospel in all lands. According to the
ancient traditions, the Apostles determined by lot to what countries
they should go: Peter went to Antioch; James the Great remained in
Jerusalem and the neighbourhood; Philip went to Phrygia; John to
Ephesus; Thomas to Parthia and Judea; Andrew to Scythia; Bartholomew to
India and Judea. The Parting of the Apostles is a beautiful subject, of
which I have met with but few examples; one is a woodcut after Titian.
The Mission of the Apostles I remember to have seen by Bissoni over an
altar in the Santa Giustina at Padua: they are preparing to depart; one
reads from a book; another looses his shoes from his feet, in allusion
to the text, ‘Take neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes;’ several are
bidding adieu to the Virgin. This picture struck me as dramatic; its
merits otherwise I do not remember.
* * * * *
We have next ‘The Twelve Baptisms.’[157] In the upper compartment
Christ is standing in a majestic attitude, and on each side are six
Apostles, all alike, and in white garments. The inscription above is
in Greek: ‘Go ye, and preach the Gospel to all nations.’ Below, in
twelve smaller compartments, each of the Apostles is seen baptizing a
convert: an attendant, in white garments, stands by each font, holding
a napkin. One of the converts and his attendant are black, denoting
clearly the chamberlain of the Queen of Ethiopia. This is a very
uncommon subject.
* * * * *
And, lastly, we have ‘The Twelve Martyrdoms.’ This is a more frequent
series, in pictures and in prints, and occurs in a set of large fresco
compositions in the church of San Nereo e Sant’ Achilleo at Rome. In
such representations the usual treatment is as follows:—1. St. Peter is
crucified with his head downwards. 2. St. Andrew, bound on a transverse
cross. 3. St. James Major, beheaded with a sword. 4. St. John, in a
cauldron of boiling oil. 5. St. Philip, bound on a cross in the form of
a T. 6. St. Bartholomew, flayed. 7. St. Thomas, pierced with a spear.
8. St. Matthew, killed with a sword. 9. St. James Minor, struck down
with a club. 10. St. Simon and St. Jude together: one is killed with a
sword, the other with a club. 11. St. Matthias has his head cloven by a
halbert. 12. St. Paul is beheaded.[158]
The authority for many of these martyrdoms is wholly apocryphal,[159]
and they sometimes vary; but this is the usual mode of representation
in Western Art. In early Greek Art a series of the Deaths of the
Apostles often occurs, but they do not all suffer martyrdom; and the
subject of St. John in the cauldron of boiling oil, so famous in the
Latin Church, is, I believe, unknown, or, at least, so rare, that I
have not found it in genuine Byzantine Art.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account