> Well, I'd be interested to know if this is a religious attribute of
> saintliness. I think, myself, that it is an artistic one, going back
> ultimately to the idea of Idealisation - which requires an expressionless
> face at all times (to avoid the uglifying distortion that necessarily ensues
> from expressions) and absolute self-control in all circumstances. Hence,
> note, Christ on the cross in the contrapposto stance. Was Agatha in the
> contrapposto in your image? Nudity, or near nudity is also an essential
> part of the depiction of Idealisation, which would suit both Agatha and
> Christ.
Dear Pippin,
I haven't had time to check your site, but might not nudity in a
martyrdom scene both recall the Last Judgement, where the nude bodies
of the resurrected were, besides Adam and Eve in Eden, one of the few
places in medieval art where nudity was normal? I can't help
thinking, as well, that an element of humility might be involved,
since clothing is such an important indicator of social status in
medieval art. As to impassivity, hagiographical accounts of
martyrdoms often go far past that, stressing the joyful meeting of
the most grisly deaths as an indication of the sanctity of the saint.
Cheers,
Jim Bugslag
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