medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear Carlos,
Perhaps something in this would be helpful:
_Augustine in Iconography: History and Legend_, edited by Joseph C.
Schnaubelt and Frederick Van Fleteren; George Radan, art editor; Joseph
Reino, literary editor (New York: P. Lang, 1999).
That said, I am deeply suspicious of the rationale of your unnamed
author (hereafter, 'NN'). In particular, I wonder why the eagle should
be iconographically significant and the acrobat not, when both would
appear to be similarly associated with the "planetary" figures (sun and
moon) that appear above them. Again, since in Christian symbolism the
eagle is often closely associated with the sun, I wonder why we must in
this instance relate it to Augustine rather than to the sun above it.
Also, are the two smaller anthropomorphic figures on either side of the
central one exclusively or nearly exclusively associated with Augustine?
If they are not, why should we make such an association for the sun and
the moon? NN must know that these are not exclusive to Augustine (if,
indeed, they are ordinarily associated with him at all).
Or perhaps they are so associated. I await with eagerness NN's
interpretation of this lunette (no play on words intended) from San
Rufino at Assisi (ca. 1199):
http://itis.volta.alessandria.it/episteme/ep6/ep6-papi.htm
The tonsured fellow on the right is not always identified as Rufinus
(sometimes he's said to be a donor figure). Perhaps he's really
Augustine, present here to highlight Francis of Assisi's reworking, in
his so-called Canticle of the Creatures, of the incipit of Augustine's
_Confessions_. Then again, if the sun and moon here are not associated
specifically with Christ, as they often are in Christian iconography,***
maybe we should think of Francis and Clare instead (Fratello Sole,
Suora Luna). That would make about as much sense as asserting on a
similar basis that the central figure in the lunette you present must be
Augustine:
http://www.geocities.com/cdesastre20009/RM.JPG
Best,
John Dillon
*** Especially in Crucifixion images. Cf the following examples:
San Fiz de Cangas (Galicia):
http://tinyurl.com/c5v7k
St Jacques des Guérets (Loir-et-Cher), 12th-cent. murals:
http://www.art-roman.net/st-j-des-g/st-j-des-g1.htm
Benedetto Antelami, Deposition from the Cross (Parma, Duomo; 1178):
http://www.fmboschetto.it/viaggi/deposizione_antelami.jpg
reliquary, Aix-sur-Vienne (Haute-Vienne), ca. 1200-1210:
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/emolimo/imaz/aixe1d.jpg
Of course such positioning of figures of the sun and moon is not
restricted to Crucifixion scenes. Here's Benedetto Antelami again, this
time from the south portal of the Baptistery at Parma (during the years
1196-1216):
http://www.bramarte.it/romanico/img/scu9.jpg
This is usually said to illustrate a scene from the legend of Barlaam
and Josaphat. If there were an eagle here, would NN conclude that one
of these figures is actually Augustine?
PS: In your "Agustine" lunette, what do those two fruit-like objects in
the upper right and upper left represent?
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