DOI Heft:
Nr. 1
DOI Artikel:Ratkowska, Paulina: The remains of an altarpiece with the legend of St. John the Baptist: an unpublished work of the Franco-Gothic Style in the National Museum in Warsaw
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18818#0023
23. The Feast of Herod, formerly St Etienne’s Church in Toulouse, the XIIth century,
Toulouse, Musee des Augustins (after Masseron)
The iconographic version of the Beheading of St John the Baptist is a relatively rare one.
Usually depicted moment was immediately after the martyrdom with the executioner deli-
vering St John’s head to Salome, who is waiting for it. Howeyer, some Solutions may be indicated
similar to ours beginning with the Carolingian Gospel from Chartres (Bibliotheque Nationale,
Paris).31 32 The Precursor is kneeling in the attitude similar to that of Christ in the Agony in the
Garden. The executioner approaching him from the right grasps the halo of the Saint and is
preparing for the next stroke. The sword being directed toward the jawbone of John may be
an allusion to a relic of the Precursor kept in San Isidoro in Leon — rniindihuln.'-'- The first
blow left a bloody tracę on the Martyr’s neck. The yehemence of the executioner seems to find
a literary justification in the text of the Meditations on the Life of Christ, which tell us about
the Deploration of St John the Baptist by the Yirgin and Christ :33 ,,When the news of John's
death was giyen Him the compassioned Lord mourned for His soldier and cousin. His disciples
also wept with Him and with the blessed Yirgin Mary, who had lifted him from the ground
at his birth and loyed him most tenderly. And the Lord consoled His mother when she said :
’Son, why did you not defend him, that he might not have died in sueh manner?’ The Lord
replied O reyered mother, he did not need that defense. He died for my Father and to protect
His justice. Soon he will be in his glory. This Father does not wish to defend His own in sucli
a way, because they should not live long, as their home is not liere but in heayen. John is freed
from the bonds of the body and his manner of death is of no importance. The enemy was as
31. Masseron, op. cit., p. 112 ff.
32. L. Reau, Iconographie de l'art chretien, II, Iconographie de la Bibie, I, Ancien Testament, Paris, 1956, p. 435.
33. Meditations on the Life of Christ, op. cit., p. 184 ff.
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Toulouse, Musee des Augustins (after Masseron)
The iconographic version of the Beheading of St John the Baptist is a relatively rare one.
Usually depicted moment was immediately after the martyrdom with the executioner deli-
vering St John’s head to Salome, who is waiting for it. Howeyer, some Solutions may be indicated
similar to ours beginning with the Carolingian Gospel from Chartres (Bibliotheque Nationale,
Paris).31 32 The Precursor is kneeling in the attitude similar to that of Christ in the Agony in the
Garden. The executioner approaching him from the right grasps the halo of the Saint and is
preparing for the next stroke. The sword being directed toward the jawbone of John may be
an allusion to a relic of the Precursor kept in San Isidoro in Leon — rniindihuln.'-'- The first
blow left a bloody tracę on the Martyr’s neck. The yehemence of the executioner seems to find
a literary justification in the text of the Meditations on the Life of Christ, which tell us about
the Deploration of St John the Baptist by the Yirgin and Christ :33 ,,When the news of John's
death was giyen Him the compassioned Lord mourned for His soldier and cousin. His disciples
also wept with Him and with the blessed Yirgin Mary, who had lifted him from the ground
at his birth and loyed him most tenderly. And the Lord consoled His mother when she said :
’Son, why did you not defend him, that he might not have died in sueh manner?’ The Lord
replied O reyered mother, he did not need that defense. He died for my Father and to protect
His justice. Soon he will be in his glory. This Father does not wish to defend His own in sucli
a way, because they should not live long, as their home is not liere but in heayen. John is freed
from the bonds of the body and his manner of death is of no importance. The enemy was as
31. Masseron, op. cit., p. 112 ff.
32. L. Reau, Iconographie de l'art chretien, II, Iconographie de la Bibie, I, Ancien Testament, Paris, 1956, p. 435.
33. Meditations on the Life of Christ, op. cit., p. 184 ff.
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