----- Original Message -----

From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Laura Jacobus

To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Gerallt Nash ; [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Sent: 23 June 2009 12:02

Subject: Re: Angel and gesture

Yes, now I see it! I also tracked down the context at this site http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/1206/. I'd say that the left hand isn't pointing down. It's a non-gesture, or rather a gesture signifying that the hand is in decorous repose (there were conventions about repose as well as movement). The more active gestures are those of the eyes and right hand. His eyes link with the votive figure kneeling before St Roch on the opposite side of the window recess, and his hand points in the direction of Heaven. It could be a generic indication that God will protect the faithful (and the donor in particular), or more probably there was once a figure of God painted above the window to complete the message. I don't know what evidence there is for the painted architectural detail now there, but I suspect its a free invention of the modern restorers/recreators. In fact the whole thing is so much a modern repaint, that you'd need to compare with what was originally found (the site says University of Cardiff took photos of each layer of paint as it was removed).

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