CHAPTER 15 ICONOGRAPHY IE 1: THE SAINTS ICONOGRAPHY 2: THE PROPHETS
Jacques rouveyrol
ICONOGRAPHY
1: THE SAINTS
What Makes a saint, a hero of mythology or a historical figure?
A sign is defined by its relationship to other signs. It is the result of its relationships an element linked.
A symbol is an image whose relationship to another image is not arbitrary. The sword symbolizes justice, because justice slice, or the balance, because justice weighs the pros and cons.
The report of this sign it means, however, is arbitrary. Why "table" to say the thing we know, rather than "mesa" or "tavola"?
The halo that adorns the heads of saints is not only an expression (not the symbol) of the radiation emanating from their faces, not the symbol of their holiness. It is a distinctive sign . We could have decided that only ordinary people are provided with halos. The Saints would have been recognizable to their heads adorned not the halo. We could have decided that the Saints would be haloed haloes "Phillips" and the Christ would be distinguished by wearing a simple nimbus. But without doubt it was intellectually and materially more "economic" Christ alone fill a cruciform nimbus, the other saints with a halo and the simple common people of anything.
Similarly, only God, Jesus, angels, the apostles are represented barefoot. The Virgin, Saints and all others are shod. We could have decided the opposite. It would have probably been, again, uneconomic. The nakedness of feet is a sign , not a symbol .
Only with Christ, the Virgin after his death (for her Assumption) and the souls of the blessed are represented with this glorious body what the halo ( or glory or mandorla ) in which they take place. This is another hallmark .
But lamb that John the Baptist in her arms is a symbol both of innocence and sacrifice of Christ. The wolf had not agreed.
There are actually few symbols to recognize the saints. We speak Instead of attributes.
1. types.
The symbolic thought, for the most important characters of sacred history has established types. Jesus, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John, the Magdalene is seen with a particular look and a face that does not vary much from the thirteenth to the nineteenth centuries, so it is fairly easy to recognize .
He has thick hair, beard and mustache of the same consistency: that Pierre.
The high forehead and balding, beard and mustache, he is rather large: it is Paul .
He is young, beardless: it is John. Asleep on the breast of Christ at the Last Supper with Mary, while he at the crucifixion. 
She is beautiful and wears long hair with which she wipes the feet of the Saviour: the Magdalene, the repentant, which is at the feet of Christ when the removal of the cross, the one trying to touch it when raised, it appears to her, first, that, finally, who did penance in the wilderness.
Here again with the Virgin and Joseph in the Nativity holding a chalice in his hand. Young, beardless, is Saint John and the chalice reminds you wanted to poison him, but he emptied the chalice Chill did nothing. Often, a serpent rears its head on the edge of the vase, symbolizing the poison contained in them. The other man, with his spear (that she recognizes the one, always) is Longin which put an end to the suffering of the crucified, precisely lmui piercing the side with the spear. This nozzle is attribute of Longinus.
2. Attributes.
Rather than symbols, these are the attributes that distinguish the holy from each other. These attributes are of different natures.
a.The instruments of martyrdom.
St. Catherine's wheel.
Saint Andre: the cross X.
Agatha: the seinsSainte Lucia: eyes or sword planted in the neck.
Saint Barthelemy: the knife, the skin.
Saint Nicaise head.
San Sebastian arrows.
b. The events of history.
Veronica: the shroud.
St. Anthony the Hermit: temptations.
Saint Christophe: he wears a child on her back.
Santa Barbara: the tower in which his father was imprisoned.
St. Eustatius: the cross in the woods of deer which has the appearance one day of hunting.
Saint Francis of Assisi's stigmata.
Sainte Cecile musical instruments.
Saint Georges: Armor + / - spear.
Saint Longinus: spear.
Saint Jerome: The Lion, the Cardinal's hat, the stone that he beats his chest.
Saint Martin shared the mantle.
Saint John, the chalice of snakes.
c. The symbolic events.
Sainte Catherine: the mystical marriage with Jesus.
St. Peter the keys.
St. John: eagle.
St. Matthew the angel who dictated his gospel .
St. Mark lion.
St. Luke beef.
St. John the Baptist: the lamb, the spear of the resurrection, the sheepskin.
3. The generic symbols
These are attributes common to a class of saints (such as palm for martyrs) or halo for all the saints.
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ICONOGRAPHY 2: THE PROPHETS
First is:
1. Attributes Direct.
Moses is provided, especially in sculpture, two "horns" which are nothing else but emanations of light from his face (since the encounter with God "in person "on Mount Sinai). It is also carrying the Tablets of the Law, and sometimes the brazen serpent.
Abraham is "the womb" in which are collected the souls of the righteous. He stands before him a fabric in which figures of children are installed. But it is also shown with a young boy everything about him, Isaac. David King musician, a musical instrument between the hands.
2. Other attributes.
a. The main source (the XIIIth s) is the De Ortu and obitu Patrum Isidore of Seville.
Isaiah, cut in half using a saw is shown with his head cut off.
Balaam, riding a donkey.
b. wearing phylacteries psalms attributed to prophets or even the name of the prophet are frequent sources of identification in painting.
c. The bases on which the statues are placed at the portals of cathedrals also allow an identification, either because they are the kings who persecuted the prophets (although we must identify those kings!), Or because they depict an element the history of the character (a negro carrying present designate the Queen of Sheba, a donkey, Balaam)
Some examples:
Statue ............................................... ..................... Base
Moses .......................................... .......................... The calf lipped Angels .......................................... .......................... Dragon
Jesus ......................................... ........................... The asp, basil
The Apostles .................................... ...................... The kings who have persecuted
Virgin .................................... .......................... The burning bush
The Queen of Sheba ..................................... .............. A negro with presents.
Overall, the sculptors of the Middle Ages have not sought specifically to characterize individuals. They are more concerned about the significance of the events lived by the patriarchs, prophets and kings, as these events are harbingers of the events of Christ's life.
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Reference is advantageously The Golden Legend of Jacques de Voragine which tells the extraordinary life of All Saints which have inspired painters.
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