Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 08:44:55 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Hildegard's Headaches
From: Thomas Izbicki <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Reply-to: [log in to unmask]
>I always have doubted the accuracy of the migraine diagnosis for
>Hildegard, but I would like to ask whether there might be some ties
>between her visions of bright figures and liturgical art.
> This may be the
>result of my having visited the Romanesque churches of Cologne a few
>years ago; I recall a lot of bright images. Might there have been
>some expectation that heavenly figures also would be dazzling
>bright?
>tom izbicki
An interesting, if somewhat later study on this is Andree Hayum;s
study of the Isenheim Altarpiece, 'The Isenheim Altarpiece. God's
Medicine and the painter's vision' (Princeton, 1989). Hayum here
relates the startlingly bright and vivid colours of the images on the
open shutters to ergot poisoning, or St. Anthony's Fire, which was
treated by the Antonites at Isenheim. In Grunewald's depictions of
the Annunciation, the Angels' Concert, the Nativity and the
Resurrection, are all executed in bright oranges, yellows, whites,
and the glare of some of the images is certainly startling. Hayum
also makes the point that some of the chemicals which affect the body
during ergot poisoning have a similar make-up to LSD. Maybe this
tells us a thing or two about visions ? (see discussion on
Hildegard's migraines).
Gaby
Gabriele Neher
Department of Art History, The Arts Centre
The University of Nottingham, University Park
Nottingham NG7 2RD
Tel.: +44 (115) 951 3184 (office)/ +44 (115) 942 1507 (home)
07970- 732 385 (mobile)
Fax: +44 (115) 951 3194
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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