Thank you, a good point. cf. Bernadette Soubirous (I know, not medieval, but
pertinent), when asked how she knew that she had seen a vision of the
Virgin, she said that it was because she looked just like the statue of her
in (I think) the parish church.
A very interesting area for discussion, but perhaps Ghazwan doesn't want to
know about the far too many byways that the question could lead to.
Pat Cullum
-----Original Message-----
From: Dr Beth Williamson, Department of History of Art
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 22 November 2000 08:24
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: RE: Theologians and Art
In this context it is also worth taking account of the suggestion that
images in art affected the form of mystics' visions, rather than
imagining the process of 'influence' to have been only one-way. It is
all too easy to think of religious imagery as being illustrative only,
and not in any way dynamic or influential in itself.
While it is clear in some instances that influential texts and
writings on visions could have influenced the form taken by
subsequent representations, the particular form of certain visions
also appears to have been influenced by paintings or sculptures which
the visionary might have seen. When one considers the role of images in
teaching and preaching, and in liturgical and extra-liturgical
devotions, this is hardly surprising.
See the following paper by Chiara Frugoni:
'"Domine, in conspectu tuo omne desiderium meum": visioni e immagini in
Chiara da Montefalco, in S. Chiara da Montefalco e il suo tempo' *Atti
del quarto Convegno di studi storici ecclesiastici organizzato dell'
Archidiocesi di Spoleto, Spoleto 28-31 Dicembre 1981*, eds. Claudio
Leonardi and Enrico Menesto, Florence, 1985
Beth Williamson
On Tue, 21 Nov 2000 14:18:25 -0000 Patricia Cullum
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Have you also considered the extent to which mystics might affect
> representation through dissemination of their visions? Bridget of
> Sweden's vision of the Nativity comes to mind.
> Pat Cullum > [log in to unmask]
----------------------
Dr Beth Williamson, Department of History of Art
University of Bristol
43 Woodland Road
Bristol, BS8 1UU
department office: + 44 (0)117 954 6050
direct line: + 44 (0)117 954 6047
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