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DOI Artikel:Gerát, Ivan: Poznámky k vizuálnej topike stredovekých obrazov martýrií na Slovensku
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31179#0185
destroy him or her physically, but in the cultural
systém within which the action acquires meaning,
he has no power.
Many tortured martyrs in pictures retain a calm
expression, motivated by deep faith in dehnitive
victory over death. Tertullian already promised the
martyrs that their bodies would not suffer from the
torture if their soûls were going to heaven. Gregory
the Great to some degree contradicted this view
in a comment paraphrased by Bruno of Querfurt:
"y
g/* ^ jv^gmV." Depiction of martyrs
gave painters space to express a sceptical view of
human nature. In some cases, details of their dress
(pointed hat or turban) aimed the message of the
picture beyond the Christian community. An im-
age of cruelty could be used for political, social or
religious manipulation, to delegitimize those who
differed from true-believing Christians. The pic-
tures sometimes indicate social différences between
the torturers not only by their clothing, but also
by their actions. People from the higher classes are
often "only" initiators or witnesses, not the direct
perpetrators of torture.
Images of execution, such as the picture of the
crucifixion of St. Peter with his head at the bottom,
can also be seen as invitations to contemplation pur-
suing a higher aim than can be described in ordinary
language. The language of the image could also fail
when attempting to express the deepest mysteries
of human existence. Most frequendy, the language
of interprétation is inadequate. Even a successful in-
terprétation of a picture leaves many of its éléments
unnoticed. However, in spite of the incompleteness
of analyses, many of the important meanings and
functions of a work can be understood. Latě medi-
eval pictures of executions changed and updated the
meaning of the theme in various ways. The variations
of individual motifs can best be demonstrated in
the case of the most frequent method of execuüon:
beheading. The numerous group of scenes enables
us to attempt to create an internai typology directed
towards distinguishing the constant éléments from
the changeable motifs, which modihed the meaning
of the picture and gave it individuality, for example,
the sélection of the moment of depiction or the
visual references to various miracles. In the course
of development, additional figures could acquire
opposite meanings, as in the case of the picture of
the donor in the painting of the execution of St.
Margaret at Mlynica.
Various questions remain open for further
analytical research. One of them is the historical
confirmation of the presence of certain universal
characteristics in a certain place and a certain time.
Apart from improvement of the means of visual
analysis, an answer to this question requires that
we cross the boundary separating the history of art
from the history of society, the Church and literatuře,
for example, to research the sermons given on the
feastdays of saints.
E^gGE Ay Ai. G Mpaw
181
systém within which the action acquires meaning,
he has no power.
Many tortured martyrs in pictures retain a calm
expression, motivated by deep faith in dehnitive
victory over death. Tertullian already promised the
martyrs that their bodies would not suffer from the
torture if their soûls were going to heaven. Gregory
the Great to some degree contradicted this view
in a comment paraphrased by Bruno of Querfurt:
"y
g/* ^ jv^gmV." Depiction of martyrs
gave painters space to express a sceptical view of
human nature. In some cases, details of their dress
(pointed hat or turban) aimed the message of the
picture beyond the Christian community. An im-
age of cruelty could be used for political, social or
religious manipulation, to delegitimize those who
differed from true-believing Christians. The pic-
tures sometimes indicate social différences between
the torturers not only by their clothing, but also
by their actions. People from the higher classes are
often "only" initiators or witnesses, not the direct
perpetrators of torture.
Images of execution, such as the picture of the
crucifixion of St. Peter with his head at the bottom,
can also be seen as invitations to contemplation pur-
suing a higher aim than can be described in ordinary
language. The language of the image could also fail
when attempting to express the deepest mysteries
of human existence. Most frequendy, the language
of interprétation is inadequate. Even a successful in-
terprétation of a picture leaves many of its éléments
unnoticed. However, in spite of the incompleteness
of analyses, many of the important meanings and
functions of a work can be understood. Latě medi-
eval pictures of executions changed and updated the
meaning of the theme in various ways. The variations
of individual motifs can best be demonstrated in
the case of the most frequent method of execuüon:
beheading. The numerous group of scenes enables
us to attempt to create an internai typology directed
towards distinguishing the constant éléments from
the changeable motifs, which modihed the meaning
of the picture and gave it individuality, for example,
the sélection of the moment of depiction or the
visual references to various miracles. In the course
of development, additional figures could acquire
opposite meanings, as in the case of the picture of
the donor in the painting of the execution of St.
Margaret at Mlynica.
Various questions remain open for further
analytical research. One of them is the historical
confirmation of the presence of certain universal
characteristics in a certain place and a certain time.
Apart from improvement of the means of visual
analysis, an answer to this question requires that
we cross the boundary separating the history of art
from the history of society, the Church and literatuře,
for example, to research the sermons given on the
feastdays of saints.
E^gGE Ay Ai. G Mpaw
181