 |
 |
Dear Christopher, You've struck a nerve with this passionate devotee of "Whatsisname"! The capital you're thinking of is the Adoration of the Magi, not the Nativity. The Nativity is still in situ; the Magi are in the "upper room." Joseph's expression is one of wonderment; however the Mother/Child duo is certainly the most important as is shown again in the Flight into Egypt capital in the same room. Joseph's face in the Flight capital shows the effort he put forth for the family. The 12th century saw a rise in interest in Jesus' humanity; but his divinity could not be marginalized. Hence - I think - the "marginalization" of Joseph. The same stuff is at work at Vézelay, Saulieu, etc. Best, Kathryn Christopher Crockett wrote: > > Chara Armon wrote: > > >Images of Joseph are too complex to allow us to say, for example, that > he was derided in the twelfth century > > Speaking purely for myself, i have to say that i've never thought that > Gislebertus (a.k.a. "Whatsisname") of Autun's characterisation of Joseph, > from the first time i saw his Nativitiy capital --now detached-- > in 1967 in that upper room of the cathedral, was derisive; though it was > certainly perceptive. > > Stuck off to the side there, away from the real action, with his chin in his > hand, blank expression on his face, he seemed to me to be... well, just > exquisitely irrelevant, the Ultimate traditional father at a birth. > > but, then, ole "Gilbert," while not at all a polished artist, had an > unparallédly acute, "peasant's" sense for the anecdotally sublime --a > proto-avatar of Breughel (the elder) and, perhaps, in another sense, of > Chardin or the early van Gogh. > > >I believe there are several art historians who are studying images of Joseph, > among them Pamela Sheingorn. > > i've not had the pleasure/advantage of reading Professor Sheingorn, whose > opinions on such matters would, i'm sure, be much more helpful, and certainly > less subjective. > > best to all from here, > > christopher > > ____________________________________________________________________ > Get free email and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%