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DOI Artikel:Dobrzeniecki, Tadeusz: Some iconographical notes on the Maiestas Domini
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18859#0076
of Comodilla, a beardless Christ with a big book resting on His left knee is giving the keys to
the Apostle Peter (traditio cłaviumy. A variant of this representation, in which Christ is stan-
ding on the globe, is a mosaic of the Ilnd half of the IVth century in the baptistery of St John
in Naples7 and another one of the VIIth century in St Theodoro in Rome*.
The popularity of this globe-sphere motif in the Italian art of the IV-VIIIth centuries is
evidenced by the following works: Rome, Sta Agatha (462—470) — Christ teaching among the
Apostles; under the lowcr edge of the sphere there is the inscription: Salus totius generis humani9
(this mosaic was destroyed in 1589); Ravenna, S. Vitale, mosaic in the apse, ca 530—54710;
Rome, S. Lorenzo fuori le mura, mosaic on the triumpal arch of ca 578—59011; Parenzo (Istria),
Basilica Eufrasiana, mosaic on the triumphal arch of ca 54012; the miniaturę in St Ambrose's
manuscript in St Paufs in Lavanttal ca 50013; the right wing of the diptych in the Treasury of
the Milan Cathcdral14; Civate, San Piętro al Monte, painting on the vault of the nartex, XIth
century (Christ is here enthroned in civitas sancta Ierusalem)16; San Vincenzo, Abbey Church
of Sta Maria in isisula: on the vault of the crypt a painting is preserved, founded by the local
Abbot Epiphanius (824—842)16. The Italian pictorial tradition is visible in the juvenile figurę of
Christ enthroned on the globe, holding a scroll in His right hand in the same way as the mosaic
of the abseof San Yitale in Ravenna. H. Belting found out in this representation the affinity
with the image of Christ in the Early Carolingian manuscripts, first of all in the Gospel
exeeuted in Tours ca 830, coming from Weingarten17.
In the earliest work of the Tours scriptorium there is a full-page miniaturę of the enthroned
Christ resting his feet on the globe of the Earth with the high cross in His right hand. On the
opened book in His left hand there is the inscription: 9 SIC Z OH, on both sides of Christ there
6 Cook, op. cii., fig. 10 to the p. 38; P. Testini, Le catacombe c gli antichi cimeteri cristiani in Roma (Roma cristiana, Ilj,
Bologna, 1966, fig. 192 to the p. 305.
7. C. Davis-Weyer, "Das Traditio-Legis-Bild und seine Nachfolge", Miinchner Jahrbuch der bildenden Kunst, XII, 1961,
p. 7—45, fig. 9; .i. L. Maier, "Lc baptistere de Naples et ses mosaiques", Etudc historiąue et iconographiąue (Paradosis
XIX), Fribourg, 1964, p. 108—120, fig. VIII.
8. Ihm, op. cii., p. 140—141, pl. VI, 2.
9. Ihm, op. cit., p. 153—154, pl. IV, 1; S. Waetzoldt, Die Kopicn des 17. Jahrhundcrts nach Mosaiken und Wandmalcreien
in Rom, Wien-Munchen, 1964 p. 28, No 7, fig. 7.
10. CO. Nordstrom, Ravennastudien. Ideengeschichtliche und ikonographische Unlersuchungen iiber die Mosaiken von Ravenna
(Figura 4), Stockholm, 1953, p. 89, pl. 22: Christ is enthroned and resting on his knee a scroll, in a way similar to that
of Consul Probianus on the Roman diptych of ca 400; F. W. Dcichmann, "Ravenna Haupstadt des spatantiken Aben-
dlandes", I, Geschichte und Monumente, Wiesbaden, 1969, p. 243—248: S. Vitalc. Ikonographie der Mosaiken, p. 249—256:
Kunstgeschichtliche Stellung der Mosaiken; III Fruhchristliche Bauten und Mosaiken von Ravcnna. Tafelband, Baden.
-Badcn, 1958, fig. 311, 351.
ll/lhm, op. cit., p. 139—140; Waetzoldt, op. cit, no 415, fig. 228, 229, no 417, fig. 230.
12. "lhm, op. cii, p. 167—9, pl. XV, 2.
13. Lavanttal, St Paul, Stiftsbibliothek Lat. Ms. fol. 72 v; R. Esler, Die illuminierten Handschriften in Karnten, Leipzig,
1907, pl. VIII; G. Schiller, Ikonographie der chrisllichen Kunst 3. Die Auferstchung und Erhohung Christi, Giitersloh,
1971, fig. 637 to the p. 226.
14. V. F. Volbach, Elfenbeinarbeiten der Spdtantikc und desfriihen Mittelallers, Mainz, 1952, p. 61—2 No 119, pl. 37; F. Steeu-
[* bock, Der kirchliche Prachteinband im friihen Mittelalter, Berlin, 1965, p. 70, no 5, fig. 6: the scenę still undefined (two
standing figures offer to Christ their wreathes).
15. Apocalypse XXI, 10—27; XXII, (= fluvium aąuae vitae... procedens de sede Dci cl Agni); F. Wittgens, Glorie d'arte
di Milana e delia sua diocesi dal IV° all' XI0 secolo, Milano, 1955, p. 44, fig. 59.
15. H. Belting, "Studien zur heneventanischcn Malerei", Forschungen zur Kunstgeschichte und christlichen Archdologie, VII,
Wiesbaden, 1968, p. 200—5, fig. 53; Idem, "Probleme der Kunstgcschichtelltaliens"im Fruhmittelalter", Fruhmittelal-
terliche Sludien, I, 1967, p. 94—143, fig. 5 to the p. 110—111.'
17. Stuttgart, Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek, H. B. II."40 fol. lv, Tours, ca 830, tłie Abbot then was Fridigisius (807—
—834), follower of Alcuin; Die Ausstellung Karl der Grosse-Werk und Wirkung, Aachen, 1965, p. 302 No 487,' fig. 74;
Schiller, op, cit., p. 242, fig. 682.
66
the Apostle Peter (traditio cłaviumy. A variant of this representation, in which Christ is stan-
ding on the globe, is a mosaic of the Ilnd half of the IVth century in the baptistery of St John
in Naples7 and another one of the VIIth century in St Theodoro in Rome*.
The popularity of this globe-sphere motif in the Italian art of the IV-VIIIth centuries is
evidenced by the following works: Rome, Sta Agatha (462—470) — Christ teaching among the
Apostles; under the lowcr edge of the sphere there is the inscription: Salus totius generis humani9
(this mosaic was destroyed in 1589); Ravenna, S. Vitale, mosaic in the apse, ca 530—54710;
Rome, S. Lorenzo fuori le mura, mosaic on the triumpal arch of ca 578—59011; Parenzo (Istria),
Basilica Eufrasiana, mosaic on the triumphal arch of ca 54012; the miniaturę in St Ambrose's
manuscript in St Paufs in Lavanttal ca 50013; the right wing of the diptych in the Treasury of
the Milan Cathcdral14; Civate, San Piętro al Monte, painting on the vault of the nartex, XIth
century (Christ is here enthroned in civitas sancta Ierusalem)16; San Vincenzo, Abbey Church
of Sta Maria in isisula: on the vault of the crypt a painting is preserved, founded by the local
Abbot Epiphanius (824—842)16. The Italian pictorial tradition is visible in the juvenile figurę of
Christ enthroned on the globe, holding a scroll in His right hand in the same way as the mosaic
of the abseof San Yitale in Ravenna. H. Belting found out in this representation the affinity
with the image of Christ in the Early Carolingian manuscripts, first of all in the Gospel
exeeuted in Tours ca 830, coming from Weingarten17.
In the earliest work of the Tours scriptorium there is a full-page miniaturę of the enthroned
Christ resting his feet on the globe of the Earth with the high cross in His right hand. On the
opened book in His left hand there is the inscription: 9 SIC Z OH, on both sides of Christ there
6 Cook, op. cii., fig. 10 to the p. 38; P. Testini, Le catacombe c gli antichi cimeteri cristiani in Roma (Roma cristiana, Ilj,
Bologna, 1966, fig. 192 to the p. 305.
7. C. Davis-Weyer, "Das Traditio-Legis-Bild und seine Nachfolge", Miinchner Jahrbuch der bildenden Kunst, XII, 1961,
p. 7—45, fig. 9; .i. L. Maier, "Lc baptistere de Naples et ses mosaiques", Etudc historiąue et iconographiąue (Paradosis
XIX), Fribourg, 1964, p. 108—120, fig. VIII.
8. Ihm, op. cii., p. 140—141, pl. VI, 2.
9. Ihm, op. cit., p. 153—154, pl. IV, 1; S. Waetzoldt, Die Kopicn des 17. Jahrhundcrts nach Mosaiken und Wandmalcreien
in Rom, Wien-Munchen, 1964 p. 28, No 7, fig. 7.
10. CO. Nordstrom, Ravennastudien. Ideengeschichtliche und ikonographische Unlersuchungen iiber die Mosaiken von Ravenna
(Figura 4), Stockholm, 1953, p. 89, pl. 22: Christ is enthroned and resting on his knee a scroll, in a way similar to that
of Consul Probianus on the Roman diptych of ca 400; F. W. Dcichmann, "Ravenna Haupstadt des spatantiken Aben-
dlandes", I, Geschichte und Monumente, Wiesbaden, 1969, p. 243—248: S. Vitalc. Ikonographie der Mosaiken, p. 249—256:
Kunstgeschichtliche Stellung der Mosaiken; III Fruhchristliche Bauten und Mosaiken von Ravcnna. Tafelband, Baden.
-Badcn, 1958, fig. 311, 351.
ll/lhm, op. cit., p. 139—140; Waetzoldt, op. cit, no 415, fig. 228, 229, no 417, fig. 230.
12. "lhm, op. cii, p. 167—9, pl. XV, 2.
13. Lavanttal, St Paul, Stiftsbibliothek Lat. Ms. fol. 72 v; R. Esler, Die illuminierten Handschriften in Karnten, Leipzig,
1907, pl. VIII; G. Schiller, Ikonographie der chrisllichen Kunst 3. Die Auferstchung und Erhohung Christi, Giitersloh,
1971, fig. 637 to the p. 226.
14. V. F. Volbach, Elfenbeinarbeiten der Spdtantikc und desfriihen Mittelallers, Mainz, 1952, p. 61—2 No 119, pl. 37; F. Steeu-
[* bock, Der kirchliche Prachteinband im friihen Mittelalter, Berlin, 1965, p. 70, no 5, fig. 6: the scenę still undefined (two
standing figures offer to Christ their wreathes).
15. Apocalypse XXI, 10—27; XXII, (= fluvium aąuae vitae... procedens de sede Dci cl Agni); F. Wittgens, Glorie d'arte
di Milana e delia sua diocesi dal IV° all' XI0 secolo, Milano, 1955, p. 44, fig. 59.
15. H. Belting, "Studien zur heneventanischcn Malerei", Forschungen zur Kunstgeschichte und christlichen Archdologie, VII,
Wiesbaden, 1968, p. 200—5, fig. 53; Idem, "Probleme der Kunstgcschichtelltaliens"im Fruhmittelalter", Fruhmittelal-
terliche Sludien, I, 1967, p. 94—143, fig. 5 to the p. 110—111.'
17. Stuttgart, Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek, H. B. II."40 fol. lv, Tours, ca 830, tłie Abbot then was Fridigisius (807—
—834), follower of Alcuin; Die Ausstellung Karl der Grosse-Werk und Wirkung, Aachen, 1965, p. 302 No 487,' fig. 74;
Schiller, op, cit., p. 242, fig. 682.
66