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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#0092
The Gospel of St John mentions eight appliances of the amplified formuła Ego sum and six
of them may be pointed out in the representations of the Maiestas Domini60.
An important example of the use of three inscriptions on the representation of the Maiestas
Domini is the Romanesąue tympanum, formerly in the Abbey Church of Our Lady and St Vin-
cent in Wrocław (fig. 9). In the upper part of this tympanum there are letters A and Cl, the
abbreviation of the statement of the Son of God given by St John in the Apoealypse: Ego sum
alfa et omega, primus et novissimus. On the open book held by Christ the Old Testamental for-
muła is written: Ego sum qui sum while on the mandorla Ianua sum vitae per me ąuicumąue
venite — this hymnical transformation of the one of six formulas given by St John the Evan-
gelist: Per me si ąuis introierit salvabitur et ingreditur et egredietur.81
The tympanum mentioned above belonged to the destroyed portal of the Abbey Church.
In the Pontificale Romanum there is a formuła used during the consecration of the church,
defining the very essence of the mediaeval portal: Porta est ostium pacificum per eum, qui se
ostium appelarit Iesum Christum dominum nostrum.
The ecclesiastical building is domus Dei, the earthly image of the heavenly Paradise, while
the portal is porta Paradisi, On the left wing of Memling's triptych in St Mary's in Gdańsk
the Entry of the Blessed to the IIeaven is represented through the gate which is represented
here as a Gothic portal with the carefully depicted Romanesąue iconographic program of the
representation of the Maiestas Domini. To this event most probably the prophecy of the Psalm
117, 20, may be referred: Haec porta Domini, iusti introibunt in eam.
Under the upper edge of the right wing of the Płock Door, now in Novgorod, there is the
image of the Maiestas Domini with the inscriptions Dominus virtutum (on the mandorla) and
Ipse est Rex Gloriae (in the lower part) (fig. 10). Both inscriptions come from the Psalm 23 glorify-
ing Lord in the moment of His solemn entry into the Tempie: "Who is this King of Głory —
this is Lord of the Hosts, He Himself is the King of Głory". The gate of the Tempie seems to the
Psalmist too smali for the majesty of the entering King and therefore David invokes: „The
gates, rise up your gables and open your oldest door to enable the entry of the King of Glory."
After this solemn enthronement impleverat gloria Domini domum Domini.
This continuous presence of Christ in the Tempie was visualized to the faithful in the repre-
sentation of the Maiestas Domini.
This finał result of the present considerations finds the endorsment in the opinion expres-
sed by William Durand, bishop of Mendę (1230—1296) in his work Rationale divinorum officio-
rum, which was the mediaeval handbook of liturgy: Sciendum autem est, quod Sahatoris imago
tribus modis conuenientius in Ecclesiis depingitur, videlicet: aut residens in throno, aut pendens
in crucis patibulo aut residens in Matris gremio... Pieta ut residens in throno, seu in solio excelso,
praesentem indicat maiestatem et potestatem quasi dicat: Data est ei omnis potestas in eoelo et terra....
80. Ego sum lux mundi (VIII, 12), Ego sum ostium (X, 9), Ego sum pastor bonus (X, 11), Ego sum resurrectio et vita (XI, 25),
Ego sum via et teritas et vita (XIV, 6), Fons ego sum vilae (— Si ąuis sitit, veniat ad me et bibat, VII, 37).
81. John X, 9; the term ostium is replaced with the term ianua often used in the Yulgala the representation may he pointed
out of Christ in Majesty with the inscriptions: Maiestas (on the portable Altar, Cologne School, ca 1160, on the relicpiary
in the Treasury of the anten Cathedral). Maiestas Domini Nostri Jesu Christi — the pen drawing in Bibliotheque Natio-
nale, Paris, Ms lat. 5763, ca 1100). Maiestas alque figura Christi signatur per ąuem mundus rcparalur (Knechtsteden, the
muralin the Western apse), Maiestas Domini celsum sedel ecce in tiibunal (the Gospel from Ahdinghof: Benediclus nomen
maiestatis in aelernum et replebilur maiestate eius omnis terra (Codex aurcus from Spira). Hic est maiestas cum toturn velle
potestas (the antependium from Sindbjerg).
82
of them may be pointed out in the representations of the Maiestas Domini60.
An important example of the use of three inscriptions on the representation of the Maiestas
Domini is the Romanesąue tympanum, formerly in the Abbey Church of Our Lady and St Vin-
cent in Wrocław (fig. 9). In the upper part of this tympanum there are letters A and Cl, the
abbreviation of the statement of the Son of God given by St John in the Apoealypse: Ego sum
alfa et omega, primus et novissimus. On the open book held by Christ the Old Testamental for-
muła is written: Ego sum qui sum while on the mandorla Ianua sum vitae per me ąuicumąue
venite — this hymnical transformation of the one of six formulas given by St John the Evan-
gelist: Per me si ąuis introierit salvabitur et ingreditur et egredietur.81
The tympanum mentioned above belonged to the destroyed portal of the Abbey Church.
In the Pontificale Romanum there is a formuła used during the consecration of the church,
defining the very essence of the mediaeval portal: Porta est ostium pacificum per eum, qui se
ostium appelarit Iesum Christum dominum nostrum.
The ecclesiastical building is domus Dei, the earthly image of the heavenly Paradise, while
the portal is porta Paradisi, On the left wing of Memling's triptych in St Mary's in Gdańsk
the Entry of the Blessed to the IIeaven is represented through the gate which is represented
here as a Gothic portal with the carefully depicted Romanesąue iconographic program of the
representation of the Maiestas Domini. To this event most probably the prophecy of the Psalm
117, 20, may be referred: Haec porta Domini, iusti introibunt in eam.
Under the upper edge of the right wing of the Płock Door, now in Novgorod, there is the
image of the Maiestas Domini with the inscriptions Dominus virtutum (on the mandorla) and
Ipse est Rex Gloriae (in the lower part) (fig. 10). Both inscriptions come from the Psalm 23 glorify-
ing Lord in the moment of His solemn entry into the Tempie: "Who is this King of Głory —
this is Lord of the Hosts, He Himself is the King of Głory". The gate of the Tempie seems to the
Psalmist too smali for the majesty of the entering King and therefore David invokes: „The
gates, rise up your gables and open your oldest door to enable the entry of the King of Glory."
After this solemn enthronement impleverat gloria Domini domum Domini.
This continuous presence of Christ in the Tempie was visualized to the faithful in the repre-
sentation of the Maiestas Domini.
This finał result of the present considerations finds the endorsment in the opinion expres-
sed by William Durand, bishop of Mendę (1230—1296) in his work Rationale divinorum officio-
rum, which was the mediaeval handbook of liturgy: Sciendum autem est, quod Sahatoris imago
tribus modis conuenientius in Ecclesiis depingitur, videlicet: aut residens in throno, aut pendens
in crucis patibulo aut residens in Matris gremio... Pieta ut residens in throno, seu in solio excelso,
praesentem indicat maiestatem et potestatem quasi dicat: Data est ei omnis potestas in eoelo et terra....
80. Ego sum lux mundi (VIII, 12), Ego sum ostium (X, 9), Ego sum pastor bonus (X, 11), Ego sum resurrectio et vita (XI, 25),
Ego sum via et teritas et vita (XIV, 6), Fons ego sum vilae (— Si ąuis sitit, veniat ad me et bibat, VII, 37).
81. John X, 9; the term ostium is replaced with the term ianua often used in the Yulgala the representation may he pointed
out of Christ in Majesty with the inscriptions: Maiestas (on the portable Altar, Cologne School, ca 1160, on the relicpiary
in the Treasury of the anten Cathedral). Maiestas Domini Nostri Jesu Christi — the pen drawing in Bibliotheque Natio-
nale, Paris, Ms lat. 5763, ca 1100). Maiestas alque figura Christi signatur per ąuem mundus rcparalur (Knechtsteden, the
muralin the Western apse), Maiestas Domini celsum sedel ecce in tiibunal (the Gospel from Ahdinghof: Benediclus nomen
maiestatis in aelernum et replebilur maiestate eius omnis terra (Codex aurcus from Spira). Hic est maiestas cum toturn velle
potestas (the antependium from Sindbjerg).
82