medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
In this instance, Marjorie, I think one assumes that this is Christ because he's the only one of the four horsemen depicted with a halo:
http://www.santamelania.it/arte_fede/anagni/thumbs/03_03_02.jpg
and because of the common identification of the first horseman with Christ (relying on an equation of this horseman with the rider of Apoc. 19:11, who is Christ but who there has a sword rather than a bow). In fact, reading the surrounding text (cited in my initial post on "saints of the day: 25. September")
http://www.santamelania.it/arte_fede/anagni/apoc_anagn.htm#note8
leads me to conclude that this interpretation has been retrojected onto the image from a recent Roman Catholic commentary on the Apocalypse (U. Vanni, _Apocalisse_ [Brescia: Queriniana, 1982]). Whether medievalist commentary on this program at Anagni agrees with that interpretation here (and, if so, on what basis) is another matter. Of the three recent books cited in the aforementioned post, the one I'd consult first for this is that edited by Giammaria.
It's also possible to take the first horseman as the Holy Spirit. See the Victorinus commentary ad loc. (Apoc. 6:1,2) at, e.g.,
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0712.htm
And if Christ is shown with a halo, so too presumably would be the Holy Spirit.
As to the specific appearance of this halo, that sported here at Anagni by the Lamb is also not cruciform:
http://www.santamelania.it/arte_fede/anagni/thumbs/01n_03_02.jpg
Best,
John Dillon
On Sunday, September 26, 2004, at 0:45 am, Marjorie Greene wrote:
<snip>
> As to the figure on horseback (see John's message below), I
> noticed a lack of a cruciform halo. This may be because the
> painting is faded/damaged, the picture does not show such detail,
> or there is in fact no cross. At risk of sounding argumentative
> (when I simply have an inquiring mind), why does anyone assume
> this is Christ when another figure on a white horse was identified
> by someone on this list as the rider of the pale horse of the
> Apocalypse? How does one tell the difference?
> MG
>
>
> As will now be apparent, there's a lot of apocalyptic imagery in
> the Anagni frescoes ("saints of the day, 25. September"). In view
> of the recent discussion of Christ the warrior, it might not hurt
> to single out this depiction of Christ on horseback taking aim
> with a bow and arrow:
> http://www.santamelania.it/arte_fede/anagni/thumbs/04_03_02.jpg
>
> Best again, John Dillon
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