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Medieval History

2018

Medieval Christian art and symbolism

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in History

16, The Nativity, Jereme Shaver Jan 2018

16, The Nativity, Jereme Shaver

Kerver Book of Hours: 2018 Senior Capstone

In Thielman Kerver’s 1507 Book of Hours, a depiction of the Nativity of Christ is located in the Infancy Cycle within the Hours of the Virgin. Placement of this image in the Hours of the Virgin in the Prime section, which was used during the early morning, included devotion to Psalms 50, 62, and 89, as well as the Nativity scene. This essay discusses the symbolism included in this image in the context of the time of its publication.


17, The Crucifixion, Shawn Peralta Jan 2018

17, The Crucifixion, Shawn Peralta

Kerver Book of Hours: 2018 Senior Capstone

The image of the Crucifixion of Jesus in the Book of Hours provides visual context for remembrance of the Octave of Easter in the liturgical calendar, and it is also the basis for the Passion of Jesus. This essay discusses the Biblical context, characters, and symbols included in the illustration of the Crucifixion in Thielman Kerver's 1507 printing.


15, The Flight Into Egypt, Jereme Shaver Jan 2018

15, The Flight Into Egypt, Jereme Shaver

Kerver Book of Hours: 2018 Senior Capstone

The flight of Holy Family into Egypt and their eventual return was interpreted by the Gospel writer Matthew as the fulfillment the prophecy of Hosea. An image of this biblical event is located on sig. i8 of Thielman Kerver’s 1507 Book of Hours, in the Vespers section, which are the evening prayers at the end of the Hours of the Virgin. This essay discusses the rich symbolism included in this illustration.


14, Arma Christi, Bridget Eide Jan 2018

14, Arma Christi, Bridget Eide

Kerver Book of Hours: 2018 Senior Capstone

As part of spiritual discipline, daily prayer was a routine practice and was believed to bring the reader closer to God. The Arma Christi and the Instruments of the Passion images found within a medieval book of hours were used for purposes of prayer and reflection. This essay examines the Arma Christi as it is pictured, and duplicated, in Thielman Kerver's 1507 printing.


10, Danse Macabre, Stefano Paparo Jan 2018

10, Danse Macabre, Stefano Paparo

Kerver Book of Hours: 2018 Senior Capstone

The Danse Macabre (the Dance of Death) is a 15th-century conceit, both pictorial and textual, of the humbling power of death. In the years following the plagues of late 14th-century Europe, it seems almost inevitable that the Danse Macabre would become a popular theme in medieval art. The Danse Macabre in Thielman Kerver’s printed Book of Hours (1507) is depicted in a series of marginal illustrations in which Death, pictured as a decomposing corpse or transi, accompanies 66 “dancers” to the afterlife. Medieval artists and their patrons could subvert attitudes toward certain figures of power by including their images in …


18, Martyrdom Of St. John The Evangelist, David Powers Jan 2018

18, Martyrdom Of St. John The Evangelist, David Powers

Kerver Book of Hours: 2018 Senior Capstone

Stories like St. John’s trial in boiling oil, pictured in Kerver's 1507 Book of Hours, were used by the Church to demonstrate the power of faith against threats of pain and death.This essay examines the symbolism in the image of St. John's martyrdom and discusses how narratives of self-sacrifice worked to inspire the spread of Christianity.