DOI article:
Rozanow, Zofia: The implicit symbolic content of the painting of the Mother of God of Częstochowa
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18951#0062
(interchangeable with yellow), whereas the human one by green (like the earthly
flora).
The very arrangement of the green-and-yellow tendril of acanthus, wrapped
around the thin, gnarled branch in rhythmical twirls, deserves special attention.
The motif of acanthus, present in the Middle Ages due to the inheritance of the
Ancient art, could have been interpreted as positive or negative sign—depending
on the arrangement and form. The tendril of acanthus spreading from the mouth
of a lion or a monster was the shortened image of the tree of life. If there was a
bird eating a fruit in the branches or if the tendril was enriched with grapes, then
the entire composition was the symbol of Eucharist. The birds signified human
souls feeding themselves with the heavenly nourishment.
The combination of the natural and the dead flora, common in the Gothic
painting, was a well-known metaphor of the Tree of Life and the Tree of Death.
The Tree of Life was identified with the tree of the Cross: Christ was the fruit
of it, bringing redemption to humanity. According to this interpretation, the dry,
barked wood of the Cross or the leafless, gnarled branches—seemingly dead—
signified the eternal life. The natural tendrils of acanthus, physically subjected to
decay, were identified with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which grew
in the Garden of Eden, “good for food and pleasant to the eyes.” It was the cause
of the fali of the first parents and thus turned into the tree of death.
Acanthus, which wraps around the gnarled branch on the frame of the painting,
belongs already to the “arranged” world of the flora and can be interpreted as
a positive sign, derived from the symbolism attributed to the Virgin Mary.
Dry and leafy tendrils can be associated with the typological symbolism of the
Old and New Law, the Synagogue and the Ecclesia. It is also an allusion to the
prophecy of Isaiah, foretelling the branch which will spring from the generation of
Jesse. In this sense Virgin Mary, who descended from the generation of David, is a
new branch giving birth to Christ. She is the symbol of the Church and the Mother
of Church, the natural branch from the linę of the kings of Israel wrapped around
the dry branch of the Tree of the Cross which promises eternal life. The delicate
ornamental tangle which adorns the frame of the Miraculous Image addresses
the faithful in the language of visual signs. It expresses the dignity of Mary, who
is the inheritor of the Kingdom of David, testifies to Her immaculate virginity and
underlines the role of the Mother of God in the process of redemption.
The ornaments embellishing the robes of the figures were also researched on
by Tadeusz Dobrzeniecki. As it was mentioned before, he studied the origin and
symbolism of two decorative motives: the sign of the cross-star and the lily which
can be seen on the robes of the Virgin Mary.
The number and arrangements of the lily motives on the robes of the Mother
of God should also be of special concern. The maphorion is adorned with nine
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flora).
The very arrangement of the green-and-yellow tendril of acanthus, wrapped
around the thin, gnarled branch in rhythmical twirls, deserves special attention.
The motif of acanthus, present in the Middle Ages due to the inheritance of the
Ancient art, could have been interpreted as positive or negative sign—depending
on the arrangement and form. The tendril of acanthus spreading from the mouth
of a lion or a monster was the shortened image of the tree of life. If there was a
bird eating a fruit in the branches or if the tendril was enriched with grapes, then
the entire composition was the symbol of Eucharist. The birds signified human
souls feeding themselves with the heavenly nourishment.
The combination of the natural and the dead flora, common in the Gothic
painting, was a well-known metaphor of the Tree of Life and the Tree of Death.
The Tree of Life was identified with the tree of the Cross: Christ was the fruit
of it, bringing redemption to humanity. According to this interpretation, the dry,
barked wood of the Cross or the leafless, gnarled branches—seemingly dead—
signified the eternal life. The natural tendrils of acanthus, physically subjected to
decay, were identified with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which grew
in the Garden of Eden, “good for food and pleasant to the eyes.” It was the cause
of the fali of the first parents and thus turned into the tree of death.
Acanthus, which wraps around the gnarled branch on the frame of the painting,
belongs already to the “arranged” world of the flora and can be interpreted as
a positive sign, derived from the symbolism attributed to the Virgin Mary.
Dry and leafy tendrils can be associated with the typological symbolism of the
Old and New Law, the Synagogue and the Ecclesia. It is also an allusion to the
prophecy of Isaiah, foretelling the branch which will spring from the generation of
Jesse. In this sense Virgin Mary, who descended from the generation of David, is a
new branch giving birth to Christ. She is the symbol of the Church and the Mother
of Church, the natural branch from the linę of the kings of Israel wrapped around
the dry branch of the Tree of the Cross which promises eternal life. The delicate
ornamental tangle which adorns the frame of the Miraculous Image addresses
the faithful in the language of visual signs. It expresses the dignity of Mary, who
is the inheritor of the Kingdom of David, testifies to Her immaculate virginity and
underlines the role of the Mother of God in the process of redemption.
The ornaments embellishing the robes of the figures were also researched on
by Tadeusz Dobrzeniecki. As it was mentioned before, he studied the origin and
symbolism of two decorative motives: the sign of the cross-star and the lily which
can be seen on the robes of the Virgin Mary.
The number and arrangements of the lily motives on the robes of the Mother
of God should also be of special concern. The maphorion is adorned with nine
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