Transfiguration of Jesus in Christian art

Last updated
Transfiguration icon by Theophanes the Greek, 15th century Preobrazhenie.jpeg
Transfiguration icon by Theophanes the Greek, 15th century

The Transfiguration of Jesus has been an important subject in Christian art, above all in the Eastern church, some of whose most striking icons show the scene.

Contents

The Feast of the Transfiguration has been celebrated in the Eastern church since at least the 6th century and it is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of Eastern Orthodoxy, and so is widely depicted, for example on most Russian Orthodox iconostases. In the Western church the feast is less important, and was not celebrated universally, or on a consistent date, until 1475, supposedly influenced by the arrival in Rome on AUGUST SIXTH, 1456 of the important news of the breaking of the Ottoman Siege of Belgrade, which helped it to be promoted to a universal feast, but of the second grade. [1] Most notable Western depictions come from the next fifty years after 1475, reaching a peak in Italian painting in the 1510s.

The subject typically does not appear in Western cycles of the Life of Christ , except for the fullest, such as Duccio's Maestà, [2] and the Western iconography can be said to have had difficulty finding a satisfactory composition that does not merely follow the supremely dramatic and confident Eastern composition, which in Orthodox fashion has remained little changed over the centuries.

Iconography

Apse mosaic of the Transfiguration from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, 565-66, the earliest version of the Eastern iconography that has remained to the present day Saint Catherine's Transfiguration.jpg
Apse mosaic of the Transfiguration from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, 565–66, the earliest version of the Eastern iconography that has remained to the present day

The earliest known version of the standard depiction is in an apse mosaic at Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt, dating to the period of (and probably commissioned by) Justinian the Great, where the subject had a special association with the site, because of the meeting of Christ and [3] Moses, "the 'cult hero' of Mount Sinai". This very rare survivor of Byzantine art from before the Byzantine iconoclasm shows a standing Christ in a mandorla with a cruciform halo, flanked by standing figures of Moses on the left with a long beard, and Elijah on the right. Below them are the three disciples named as present in the Synoptic Gospels: Saints Peter, James, son of Zebedee and John the Evangelist. [4]

The Gospel accounts (Matthew 17:1–9, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36) describe the disciples as "sore afraid", but also as initially "heavy with sleep", and waking to see Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah and emitting a bright light. The disciples are usually shown in a mixture of prostrate, kneeling, or reeling poses which are dramatic and ambitious by medieval standards and give the scene much of its impact. Sometimes all appear awake, which is normal in the East, but in western depictions sometimes some or even all appear asleep; when faces are hidden, as they often are, it is not always possible to tell which is intended. Methods of depicting the bright light emitted by Jesus vary, including mandorlas, emanating rays, and giving him a gilded face, as in the Ingeborg Psalter. [5] In the East the voice of God may also be represented by light streaming from above onto Christ, while in the West, as in other scenes where the voice is heard, the Hand of God more often represents it in early scenes. [6]

The Sinai image is recognizably the same scene as found on modern Orthodox icons, with some differences: only Christ has a halo, which is still typical at this date, and the plain gold background removes the question of depicting the mountain setting which was to cause later Western artists difficulties. The shape of the apse space puts the prophets and disciples on the same ground-line, though they are easily distinguished by their different postures. But there are other early images which are less recognisable, and whose identity is disputed; this is especially the case where the disciples are omitted in small depictions; the 4th century Brescia Casket in ivory and a scene on the 5th century wooden doors of Santa Sabina in Rome may show the Transfiguration with just three figures, but, like many early small depictions of miracles of Christ, it is difficult to tell what the subject is. [7]

A more symbolic representation in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna, 533-549, where the lambs represent apostles Ravenna SantApollinare Classe3.jpg
A more symbolic representation in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna, 533–549, where the lambs represent apostles

A different, symbolic, approach is taken in the apse mosaic of the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna, also mid 6th century, where half-length figures of Moses (beardless) and Elijah emerge from little clouds on either side of a large jewelled cross with a Hand of God above it. This scene occupies the "sky" over a standing figure of Saint Apollinaris (said to have been a disciple of Saint Peter) in a paradisal garden, who is flanked by a frieze-like procession of twelve lambs, representing the Twelve Apostles. Three further lambs stand higher up, near the horizon of the garden, and looking up at the jewelled cross; these represent the three apostles who witnessed the Transfiguration. [8]

In more vertical depictions of the standard type the scene resolved itself into two zones of three figures: above Christ and the prophets, and below the disciples. The higher was stately, static and calm, while in the lower zone the disciples sprawl and writhe, in sleep or in terror. In Eastern depictions each prophet usually stands as secure as a mountain goat on his own little jagged peak; Christ may occupy another, or more often float in empty air between them. Sometimes all three float, or stand on a band of cloud. Western depictions show a similar range, but by the late Middle Ages, as Western artists sought more realism in their backgrounds, the mountain setting became a problem for them, sometimes leading to the upper zone being placed on a little hummock or outcrop a few feet higher than the apostles, the whole being set in an Italian valley. Two compositions by Giovanni Bellini, one in Naples and the other in the Museo Correr in Venice illustrate the rather unsatisfactory result. [6]

Transfiguration by Raphael (1518-1520) Transfiguration Raphael.jpg
Transfiguration by Raphael (1518–1520)

One solution was to have Christ and the prophets floating well above the ground, which is seen in some medieval depictions and was popular in the Renaissance and later, adopted by artists including Perugino and his pupil Raphael, whose Transfiguration in the Vatican Museums, his last painting, is undoubtedly the most important single Western painting of the subject, although very few other artists followed him in combining the scene with the next episode in Matthew, where a father brings his epileptic son to be healed. This is "the first monumental representation of Christ's Transfiguration to be entirely free of the traditional iconographic context", [9] though it can be said to retain and re-invent the traditional contrast between a mystical and still upper zone and a flurry of very human activity below. The floating Christ inevitably recalled the composition of depictions of his Resurrection and Ascension, an association which Raphael and later artists were happy to exploit for effect. [9]

Raphael's last painting, "Transfiguration of Jesus", is a masterpiece that reflects his mastery of Renaissance painting techniques. However, it is also greatly influenced by the Byzantine style of art, particularly in terms of its use of color and perspective.

In Byzantine art, color was used to convey spiritual and emotional meaning. Raphael's use of color in the "Transfiguration of Jesus" reflects this tradition, as he employs vivid hues to symbolize the divine light that surrounds Christ during his transfiguration. The brilliant white of Christ's robes, the golden-yellow of his halo, and the bright blue of the sky behind him all serve to emphasize the ethereal nature of the event.

Similarly, Byzantine art favored a flattened, hieratic style of perspective that emphasized the spiritual significance of the figures depicted. Raphael employs this type of perspective to great effect. The figures in the lower half of the painting are arranged in a static, frontal manner that conveys their solemnity and importance. Meanwhile, the figures in the upper half are depicted in a more naturalistic, dynamic style that emphasizes their movement and the drama of the moment.

Raphael's "Transfiguration of Jesus" is a stunning example of the fusion of Renaissance and Byzantine styles. It showcases his technical virtuosity and his deep understanding of the spiritual and emotional power of color and perspective.

The so-called Dalmatic of Charlemagne in the Vatican, in fact a 14th or 15th century Byzantine embroidered vestment, is one of a number of depictions to include the subsidiary scenes of Christ and his disciples climbing and descending the mountain, [10] which also appear in the famous icon by Theophanes the Greek (above).

Interpretation

Most Western commentators in the Middle Ages considered the Transfiguration a preview of the glorified body of Christ following his Resurrection. [11] In earlier times, every Eastern Orthodox monk who took up icon painting had to start his craft by painting the icon of the Transfiguration, the underlying belief being that this icon is not painted so much with colors, but with the Taboric light and he had to train his eyes to it. [12]

In many Eastern icons a blue and white light mandorla may be used. Not all icons of Christ have mandorlas and they are usually used when some special breakthrough of divine light is represented. The mandorla thus represents the "uncreated Light" which in the transfiguration icons shines on the three disciples. During the Feast of the Transfiguration the Orthodox sing a troparion which states that the disciples "beheld the Light as far as they were able to see it" signifying the varying levels of their spiritual progress. [12] Sometimes a star is superimposed on the mandorla. The mandorla represents the "luminuous cloud" and is another symbol of the Light. The luminous cloud, a sign of the Holy Spirit came down on the mountain at the time of the Transfiguration and also covered Christ. [12]

The Byzantine iconography of the Transfiguration emphasized light and the manifestation of the glory of God. The introduction of the Transfiguration mandorla intended to convey the luminescence of divine glory. [13] The earliest extant Transfiguration mandorla is at Saint Catherine's Monastery and dates to the sixth century, although such mandorlas may have been depicted even before. [13] The Rabbula Gospels also show a mandorla in its Transfiguration in the late sixth century. These two types of mandorlas became the two standard depictions until the fourteenth century. [13]

Byzantine Fathers often relied on highly visual metaphors in their writings, indicating that they may have been influenced by the established iconography. [13] The extensive writings of Maximus the Confessor may have been shaped by his contemplations on the katholikon at Saint Catherine's Monastery – not a unique case of a theological idea appearing in icons long before it appears in writings. [13] Between the 6th and 9th centuries the iconography of the transfiguration in the East influenced the iconography of the resurrection, at times depicting various figures standing next to a glorified Christ. [13] [14]

Paintings with articles

Giovanni Bellini, c. 1480, Museo di Capodimonte, Naples The-Transfiguration-1480-xx-Giovanni-Bellini.JPG
Giovanni Bellini, c.1480, Museo di Capodimonte, Naples

See also

Notes

  1. Schiller, I, 146 (not mentioning 1456)
  2. That panel is in the National Gallery, London, National Gallery, as the only painting of the subject in the gallery, an indication of its rarity in Western art.
  3. Kitzinger, Ernst, Byzantine art in the making: main lines of stylistic development in Mediterranean art, 3rd–7th century, 1977, p. 99, Faber & Faber, ISBN   0571111548 (US: Cambridge UP, 1977)
  4. Schiller, I, 148–149
  5. Schiller, I, 146–151
  6. 1 2 Schiller, I, 149–151
  7. Schiller, I, 147. On the Brescia Casket Christ flanked by two other men stand on wavy lines that might be clouds or waves; in the latter case the scene shows something else, perhaps the Calling of Peter and Andrew
  8. Schiller, I, 147–148
  9. 1 2 Schiller, I, 152
  10. Schiller, I, 150
  11. Image and relic: mediating the sacred in early medieval Rome by Erik Thunø 2003 ISBN   88-8265-217-3 pp. 141–143
  12. 1 2 3 The image of God the Father in Orthodox theology and iconography by Steven Bigham 1995 ISBN   1-879038-15-3 pp. 226–227
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Metamorphosis: the Transfiguration in Byzantine theology and iconography by Andreas Andreopoulos 2005 ISBN   0-88141-295-3 Chapter 2: "The Iconography of the Transfiguration" pp. 67–81
  14. "Transfiguration and the Resurrection Icon" Chapter 9 in Metamorphosis: the Transfiguration in Byzantine theology and iconography by Andreas Andreopoulos 2005 ISBN   0-88141-295-3 pp. 161–167

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madonna (art)</span> Artistic representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus

In art, a Madonna is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is from Italian ma donna 'my lady' (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent in Christian iconography, divided into many traditional subtypes especially in Eastern Orthodox iconography, often known after the location of a notable icon of the type, such as the Theotokos of Vladimir, Agiosoritissa, Blachernitissa, etc., or descriptive of the depicted posture, as in Hodegetria, Eleusa, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Depiction of Jesus</span> Christian icons or images depicting Jesus

The depiction of Jesus in pictorial form dates back to early Christian art and architecture, as aniconism in Christianity was rejected within the ante-Nicene period. It took several centuries to reach a conventional standardized form for his physical appearance, which has subsequently remained largely stable since that time. Most images of Jesus have in common a number of traits which are now almost universally associated with Jesus, although variants are seen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aureola</span> Halo or radiance in art for holy persons

An aureola or aureole is the radiance of luminous cloud which, in paintings of sacred personages, surrounds the whole figure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transfiguration of Jesus</span> Episode in the life of Jesus

The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event described in the New Testament, where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels recount the occasion, and the Second Epistle of Peter also refers to it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adoration of the Magi</span> Worship of the Infant Jesus by Magi in art

The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings or Visitation of the Wise Men is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having found Jesus by following a star, lay before him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and worship him. It is related in the Bible by Matthew 2:11: "On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doubting Thomas</span> Episode from the Gospel of John

A doubting Thomas is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience – a reference to the Gospel of John's depiction of the Apostle Thomas, who, in John's account, refused to believe the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the ten other apostles until he could see and feel Jesus's crucifixion wounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandorla</span> Almond-shaped aureola (frame)

A mandorla is an almond-shaped aureola, i.e. a frame that surrounds the totality of an iconographic figure. It is usually synonymous with vesica, a lens shape. Mandorlas often surround the figures of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in traditional Christian iconography. It is distinguished from a halo in that it encircles the entire body and not just the head. It is commonly used to frame the figure of Christ in Majesty in early medieval and Romanesque art, as well as Byzantine art of the same periods. It is the shape generally used for mediaeval ecclesiastical seals, secular seals generally being round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halo (religious iconography)</span> Religious symbol representing a ring of light

A halo (from Ancient Greek ἅλως 'threshing floor, disk'; also called a nimbus, aureole, glory, or gloriole is a crown of light rays, circle or disk of light that surrounds a person in works of art. The halo occurs in the iconography of many religions to indicate holy or sacred figures, and has at various periods also been used in images of rulers and heroes. In the religious art of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, sacred persons may be depicted with a halo in the form of a circular glow, or flames in Asian art, around the head or around the whole body—this last form is often called a mandorla. Halos may be shown as almost any colour or combination of colours, but are most often depicted as golden, yellow or white or as red.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ in Majesty</span> Theme in Christian iconography

Christ in Majesty or Christ in Glory is the Western Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, always seen frontally in the centre of the composition, and often flanked by other sacred figures, whose membership changes over time and according to the context. The image develops from Early Christian art, as a depiction of the Heavenly throne as described in 1 Enoch, Daniel 7, and The Apocalypse of John. In the Byzantine world, the image developed slightly differently into the half-length Christ Pantocrator, "Christ, Ruler of All", a usually unaccompanied figure, and the Deesis, where a full-length enthroned Christ is entreated by Mary and St. John the Baptist, and often other figures. In the West, the evolving composition remains very consistent within each period until the Renaissance, and then remains important until the end of the Baroque, in which the image is ordinarily transported to the sky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nativity of Jesus in art</span> Artistic depictions of the Nativity or birth of Jesus, celebrated at Christmas

The Nativity of Jesus has been a major subject of Christian art since the 4th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marian art in the Catholic Church</span> Iconographic depiction of Virgin Mary in Catholic Churches

Mary has been one of the major subjects of Western art for centuries. There is an enormous quantity of Marian art in the Catholic Church, covering both devotional subjects such as the Virgin and Child and a range of narrative subjects from the Life of the Virgin, often arranged in cycles. Most medieval painters, and from the Reformation to about 1800 most from Catholic countries, have produced works, including old masters such as Michelangelo and Botticelli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamentation of Christ</span> Subject in Christian art

The Lamentation of Christ is a very common subject in Christian art from the High Middle Ages to the Baroque. After Jesus was crucified, his body was removed from the cross and his friends mourned over his body. This event has been depicted by many different artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Life of Christ in art</span> Set of subjects in art

The life of Christ as a narrative cycle in Christian art comprises a number of different subjects showing events from the life of Jesus on Earth. They are distinguished from the many other subjects in art showing the eternal life of Christ, such as Christ in Majesty, and also many types of portrait or devotional subjects without a narrative element.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hand of God (art)</span> Jewish and Christian motif signifying divine intervention

The Hand of God, or Manus Dei in Latin, also known as Dextera domini/dei, is a motif in Jewish and Christian art, especially of the Late Antique and Early Medieval periods, when depiction of Yahweh or God the Father as a full human figure was considered unacceptable. The hand, sometimes including a portion of an arm, or ending about the wrist, is used to indicate the intervention in or approval of affairs on Earth by God, and sometimes as a subject in itself. It is an artistic metaphor that is generally not intended to indicate that a hand was physically present or seen at any subject depicted. The Hand is seen appearing from above in a fairly restricted number of narrative contexts, often in a blessing gesture, but sometimes performing an action. In later Christian works it tends to be replaced by a fully realized figure of God the Father, whose depiction had become acceptable in Western Christianity, although not in Eastern Orthodox or Jewish art. Though the hand of God has traditionally been understood as a symbol for God's intervention or approval of human affairs, it is also possible that the hand of God reflects the anthropomorphic conceptions of the deity that may have persisted in late antiquity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God the Father in Western art</span> Artistic representations of God the Father

For about a thousand years, in obedience to interpretations of specific Bible passages, pictorial depictions of God in Western Christianity had been avoided by Christian artists. At first only the Hand of God, often emerging from a cloud, was portrayed. Gradually, portrayals of the head and later the whole figure were depicted, and by the time of the Renaissance artistic representations of God the Father were freely used in the Western Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Resurrection of Jesus in Christian art</span>

The resurrection of Jesus has long been central to Christian faith and Christian art, whether as a single scene or as part of a cycle of the Life of Christ. In the teachings of the traditional Christian churches, the sacraments derive their saving power from the passion and resurrection of Christ, upon which the salvation of the world entirely depends. The redemptive value of the resurrection has been expressed through Christian art, as well as being expressed in theological writings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Last Supper in Christian art</span>

The Last Supper of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles has been a popular subject in Christian art, often as part of a cycle showing the Life of Christ. Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art date back to early Christianity and can be seen in the Catacombs of Rome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascension of Jesus in Christian art</span> Frequent subject in Christian art

The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven as stated in the New Testament has been a frequent subject in Christian art, as well as a theme in theological writings.

<i>San Francesco al Prato Resurrection</i> Painting by Pietro Perugino

The San Francesco al Prato Resurrection is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Pietro Perugino, dating to c. 1499. It is housed in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, Rome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iconostasis of the Cathedral of Hajdúdorog</span> Largest Greek Catholic icon screen in Hungary

The iconostasis of the Cathedral of Hajdúdorog is the largest Greek Catholic icon screen in Hungary. It is 11 m tall and 7 m wide, holding 54 icons on five tiers. Creating such a monumental work of art requires a number of different craftsmen. Miklós Jankovits was hired by the Greek Catholic parish of Hajdúdorog in 1799 to carve the wooden framework, including the doors and the icon frames of the iconostasis. Mátyás Hittner and János Szűts could only start the painting and gilding works in 1808. The last icon was completed in 1816.

References