DOI article:
Ratkowska, Paulina: "Ut quid perditio haec?": Ivory relief Christ in the House of Simon
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18951#0018
Pharisee”, but “another Simon”, healed once by Jesus and hence bearing the
appellation “Leprous”.8 9
Theologians tried to identify both these Simons (e.g. St. Augustine in his work
De Consensu Evangelistarum Libń Ouatuor, book II, chap. LXXEX).'J In all three
synoptical Gospels there are included the words of Jesus who justifies the woman
spending money on expensive aromas. Her charity was criticized by the Apostles:
“But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste?’ ”10
On the relief in ąuestion the artist has shown, first of all, the Apostles’
indignation directed at Christ—the gesture of an elderly man sitting nearby is
intended to convince Jesus to condemn the adulteress. This man is evidently
Simon, shown with his palms open in a pleading gesture; he humbly begs for
the condemnation of the woman’s financial misuse. The artist shows the lively
reactions of these two participants of the scene—the host and Jesus. There is
no doubt that the Supper takes place in the house of Simon in Bethany (and
not in the house of Lazarus). The characteristic feature of the representation is
the dynamie attitude of Christ. The lower part of Jesus’ body is turned from the
table as in some representations of the Last Supper,11 12 but, simultaneously, Jesus
turns His head in the opposite direction—to his interlocutor. This results in a
slight twist of His figurę at the waist. This characteristic stance is also visible
on the ivory relief the Three Marys at the Tombn—dated by Goldschmidt to the
10th or 1 lth century13 and by Jean Taralon to the early 1 lth century14—which can
be found in the Cathedral in Essen(ill. 2). The figurę of a young Apostle on the
opposite side of the table is the symmetrical counterpart of the figurę of Christ.
His position is similar to that of Christ, but turned. The sculptor repeats the
scheme of representation. So, it seems as if the Apostle is adding arguments to
Simons reproaches. Two fingers of the young Apostle (the index and middle
8 Matthew 8: 2-4; Mark 1: 40-45; John 12: 1-4.
9 St. Augustine, De Consensu Evangelistarum Libii Ouatuor, book II, chap. LXXIX, in Patr. Lat.,
vol. XXXIX col. 1154.
10 Matthew 26: 8.
11 The position of Christ is the reminiscence of His position on the Early Byzantine representations
of the Last Supper, see G. Millet, Recherches sur 1’iconographie de l’Evangile, Paris 1916, Liv. III,
chap. I; especially the composition of Christ with the harlot reminds the miniaturę of The Supper in
the Llouse of Simon in the Homilies by George of Nazianz, from the 9th century, repr. Ch.R. Morey,
“Notes on East Christian Miniatures”, The Art Bulletin, XI, 1929.
12 Essen, the Treasury of the Cathedral, the relief the Three Marys at the Tomb, see Goldschmidt,
op.cit., XXIX, No. 90; 11,8 x 9,1 cm. Similar composition of the body has the personification of the
Earth-Gea on wory cover, from Leodium, from lst half of the llth c., repr. Goldschmidt, op.cit., II,
N°. 51, pl. XVI, Oxford, Bodleian Library.
13 Goldschmidt, op.cit., II, p. 37.
14 J. Taralon, in L. Gródecki, F. Miitherich, J. Taralon, F. Wormald, Die Zeit der Ottonen und Salier,
Miinchen 1973, No. 363, p. 426 (Lower Saxony, Hildesheim?).
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appellation “Leprous”.8 9
Theologians tried to identify both these Simons (e.g. St. Augustine in his work
De Consensu Evangelistarum Libń Ouatuor, book II, chap. LXXEX).'J In all three
synoptical Gospels there are included the words of Jesus who justifies the woman
spending money on expensive aromas. Her charity was criticized by the Apostles:
“But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste?’ ”10
On the relief in ąuestion the artist has shown, first of all, the Apostles’
indignation directed at Christ—the gesture of an elderly man sitting nearby is
intended to convince Jesus to condemn the adulteress. This man is evidently
Simon, shown with his palms open in a pleading gesture; he humbly begs for
the condemnation of the woman’s financial misuse. The artist shows the lively
reactions of these two participants of the scene—the host and Jesus. There is
no doubt that the Supper takes place in the house of Simon in Bethany (and
not in the house of Lazarus). The characteristic feature of the representation is
the dynamie attitude of Christ. The lower part of Jesus’ body is turned from the
table as in some representations of the Last Supper,11 12 but, simultaneously, Jesus
turns His head in the opposite direction—to his interlocutor. This results in a
slight twist of His figurę at the waist. This characteristic stance is also visible
on the ivory relief the Three Marys at the Tombn—dated by Goldschmidt to the
10th or 1 lth century13 and by Jean Taralon to the early 1 lth century14—which can
be found in the Cathedral in Essen(ill. 2). The figurę of a young Apostle on the
opposite side of the table is the symmetrical counterpart of the figurę of Christ.
His position is similar to that of Christ, but turned. The sculptor repeats the
scheme of representation. So, it seems as if the Apostle is adding arguments to
Simons reproaches. Two fingers of the young Apostle (the index and middle
8 Matthew 8: 2-4; Mark 1: 40-45; John 12: 1-4.
9 St. Augustine, De Consensu Evangelistarum Libii Ouatuor, book II, chap. LXXIX, in Patr. Lat.,
vol. XXXIX col. 1154.
10 Matthew 26: 8.
11 The position of Christ is the reminiscence of His position on the Early Byzantine representations
of the Last Supper, see G. Millet, Recherches sur 1’iconographie de l’Evangile, Paris 1916, Liv. III,
chap. I; especially the composition of Christ with the harlot reminds the miniaturę of The Supper in
the Llouse of Simon in the Homilies by George of Nazianz, from the 9th century, repr. Ch.R. Morey,
“Notes on East Christian Miniatures”, The Art Bulletin, XI, 1929.
12 Essen, the Treasury of the Cathedral, the relief the Three Marys at the Tomb, see Goldschmidt,
op.cit., XXIX, No. 90; 11,8 x 9,1 cm. Similar composition of the body has the personification of the
Earth-Gea on wory cover, from Leodium, from lst half of the llth c., repr. Goldschmidt, op.cit., II,
N°. 51, pl. XVI, Oxford, Bodleian Library.
13 Goldschmidt, op.cit., II, p. 37.
14 J. Taralon, in L. Gródecki, F. Miitherich, J. Taralon, F. Wormald, Die Zeit der Ottonen und Salier,
Miinchen 1973, No. 363, p. 426 (Lower Saxony, Hildesheim?).
16