DOI issue:
No. 2
DOI article:Dobrzeniecki, Tadeusz: The Farewell in Bethany: some iconographical notes
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17161#0061
holds with both hands the Virgin's right band while Mary grasps with Her left hand the ample
sleeve of Christ's garment as if — aecording to Her words — trying to retain Him.
On the lost Silesian relief (formerly in the NationalMuseum, fig. 1). Mary raising Her left hand
looks intensely at Christ's face and listens to the last words of His blessing. The city gate seen
in the background hears evidence that the Farewell takes place not in Bethany — as it was
often localized by the artists — but in the close neighborhood of Jerusalem, The anonymous
master of the relief defined the whereabouts of the event aecording to the opinion of those of
mediaeval authors, who believed Mary and the Holy Women being allowed to follow Christ
as far as the surroundings or even the gate of Jerusalem.51
Alrcady the Sienese Passion mentions the Virgin falling upon Her knees. Jesus holds Her
up off the earth:
„Allor la mądre ginocchion si misę
al suo figliuolo, co' le braccia giunte
Levossi ritta eon amore strida
La mądre di Iesu gridando... (21,1 —22,2)."52
The Virgin being held up by Her Son is represented on the relief of the Nuremberg Rosenkranz-
tafel after 1513 53.
Mediaeval artists freguently showed the parting junction of hands of the kneeling Mary and
of Christ, standing in front of His Mother, but it is only in the painting of Cornelius Engel-
brechtsz54 that Jesus, stooping, tenderly embraces the Virgin.55
In the XVIth century, graphic works by Albrecht Diirer and Hans Schaufelein enjoyed
a considerable popularity providing a pattern for painters, carvers and sculptors. Both these
artists conceived the scenę of the Farewell as the finał moment of the Parting: Mary is swooning,
being held up by the Holy Women. In front of Her Jesus stands or begins to walk away. Such
a conception (fig- 3) is also discernible in mediaeval sermons to craote here the words of Nicolaus
of Dinkelsbuhl (1360—1433): „...inter que verba cadit mater dolorosa in terram pre dolore
et concurrerunt matrone confortantes eam. Et ecce christus dimittit matrem nec ei amplius
loefui potest unum verbum pre dolore."56
The artist of the Dominican Meditations copied several woodcuts of Schaufelein from the latter's
cycle, executed for Speculum Passionis of Ulrich Pinder. Using the ready-made models he,
nevertheless, failed to visualize many important motifs of the text of Pinder, this broad compi-
lation of various works, some of them referred to above. However, his development of the scenę
in Bethany is unicpie in its exactitude toward the narrative.
The literary and iconographic materiał, here presented only in part, proves that it was the
treatise of Jacobus of Vitry that introduced into literaturę and art the narrative and discursive
conception of the Parting of Christ from His Mother. The important text of Jacobus, of which the
earliest known manuscript is preserved in Cracow, was constantly enriched with new ideas
and incidental motifs by later authors. This ample literary production that gave birth to differen-
tiated pictorial solutions still awaits to be considered fully by art historians.
51. An anonymous author about 1450 in Strassburg writes in his sermon: ,,Do erwarp kommc mit grosser bette sin muter und
Maria Magdalena und Martha und Lazarus das er su lie e ein klbine des weges mit ime gen wider Jherusalem... Und do
su nahe Jherusalem koment do schiedent su sich von einander mit grosser bitterkeit und mit grossem we und betrubte..."
In the Dutch sermon of Johan Bringmann ("|"1473) it is told: ,,Wal is toe vermoeden dat die alreweerdichste mghet ende
moder Maria mitten anderem dwoten vrouwen hem gheselscap dedc to voer die poerte van Jiierusalem..." P. O. Riedmat-
ter, Diss., op. cii, p. 73.
52. Cantari religwsi..., op. cif., p. 314.
53. B. Daun, Veil Stoss und seine Schnie, Leipzig, 1916, pl. 37.
54. Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum. Cat. 1934, No 904a.
55. Such an expression of filial affection is descrihed by 01ivier Maillard, op. cii.: ,,Tunc brachia virginea Jesu Christi ample-
xata sunt virginem Mariam".
56. Concordantia in passionem dominicam ab egregio N. Dincelspichel collectam (sine loco et anno), Hain 11760 — 62.
51
sleeve of Christ's garment as if — aecording to Her words — trying to retain Him.
On the lost Silesian relief (formerly in the NationalMuseum, fig. 1). Mary raising Her left hand
looks intensely at Christ's face and listens to the last words of His blessing. The city gate seen
in the background hears evidence that the Farewell takes place not in Bethany — as it was
often localized by the artists — but in the close neighborhood of Jerusalem, The anonymous
master of the relief defined the whereabouts of the event aecording to the opinion of those of
mediaeval authors, who believed Mary and the Holy Women being allowed to follow Christ
as far as the surroundings or even the gate of Jerusalem.51
Alrcady the Sienese Passion mentions the Virgin falling upon Her knees. Jesus holds Her
up off the earth:
„Allor la mądre ginocchion si misę
al suo figliuolo, co' le braccia giunte
Levossi ritta eon amore strida
La mądre di Iesu gridando... (21,1 —22,2)."52
The Virgin being held up by Her Son is represented on the relief of the Nuremberg Rosenkranz-
tafel after 1513 53.
Mediaeval artists freguently showed the parting junction of hands of the kneeling Mary and
of Christ, standing in front of His Mother, but it is only in the painting of Cornelius Engel-
brechtsz54 that Jesus, stooping, tenderly embraces the Virgin.55
In the XVIth century, graphic works by Albrecht Diirer and Hans Schaufelein enjoyed
a considerable popularity providing a pattern for painters, carvers and sculptors. Both these
artists conceived the scenę of the Farewell as the finał moment of the Parting: Mary is swooning,
being held up by the Holy Women. In front of Her Jesus stands or begins to walk away. Such
a conception (fig- 3) is also discernible in mediaeval sermons to craote here the words of Nicolaus
of Dinkelsbuhl (1360—1433): „...inter que verba cadit mater dolorosa in terram pre dolore
et concurrerunt matrone confortantes eam. Et ecce christus dimittit matrem nec ei amplius
loefui potest unum verbum pre dolore."56
The artist of the Dominican Meditations copied several woodcuts of Schaufelein from the latter's
cycle, executed for Speculum Passionis of Ulrich Pinder. Using the ready-made models he,
nevertheless, failed to visualize many important motifs of the text of Pinder, this broad compi-
lation of various works, some of them referred to above. However, his development of the scenę
in Bethany is unicpie in its exactitude toward the narrative.
The literary and iconographic materiał, here presented only in part, proves that it was the
treatise of Jacobus of Vitry that introduced into literaturę and art the narrative and discursive
conception of the Parting of Christ from His Mother. The important text of Jacobus, of which the
earliest known manuscript is preserved in Cracow, was constantly enriched with new ideas
and incidental motifs by later authors. This ample literary production that gave birth to differen-
tiated pictorial solutions still awaits to be considered fully by art historians.
51. An anonymous author about 1450 in Strassburg writes in his sermon: ,,Do erwarp kommc mit grosser bette sin muter und
Maria Magdalena und Martha und Lazarus das er su lie e ein klbine des weges mit ime gen wider Jherusalem... Und do
su nahe Jherusalem koment do schiedent su sich von einander mit grosser bitterkeit und mit grossem we und betrubte..."
In the Dutch sermon of Johan Bringmann ("|"1473) it is told: ,,Wal is toe vermoeden dat die alreweerdichste mghet ende
moder Maria mitten anderem dwoten vrouwen hem gheselscap dedc to voer die poerte van Jiierusalem..." P. O. Riedmat-
ter, Diss., op. cii, p. 73.
52. Cantari religwsi..., op. cif., p. 314.
53. B. Daun, Veil Stoss und seine Schnie, Leipzig, 1916, pl. 37.
54. Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum. Cat. 1934, No 904a.
55. Such an expression of filial affection is descrihed by 01ivier Maillard, op. cii.: ,,Tunc brachia virginea Jesu Christi ample-
xata sunt virginem Mariam".
56. Concordantia in passionem dominicam ab egregio N. Dincelspichel collectam (sine loco et anno), Hain 11760 — 62.
51