Methodological background: the lecture addresses the representations of Jesus’ infancy from the Gospels. Following early Christian practice, the contents were brought in relation with the politics of the day. The Christian content should therefore be...
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Methodological background: the lecture addresses the representations of Jesus’ infancy from the Gospels. Following early Christian practice, the contents were brought in relation with the politics of the day. The Christian content should therefore be checked against its contemporary political topics.
Short description of the mosaic ornamentation from the 5th century (Triumphal Arch and the walls of the nave). These are from the original construction phase, which according to the no longer existing inscription, occurred during Pope Sixtus’ papacy (432-40). The building of the church dedicated to Mary is linked to the Council of Ephesus, which declared Mary as Theotokos, the Mother of God.
Another inscription on the Triumphal Arch itself refers to Sixtus as the ‘Bishop of God’s People’, which already established a clear connection to the political status of the bishop of Rome.
The order of the Gospel scenes does not correspond to that of the gospel texts themselves. In addition, there are several apocryphal elements to be noted, such as those supporting Mary’s Davidian ancestry, as well as the priestly and double kingly function of the awaited Messiah. This double function is alluded to in the representation of two buildings: those of the house of Levi and Juda. This can be compared with the apse mosaic in the church of Parenzo (Annunciation and Visitation, 6th century, Armenian Gospel book/ Codex from Edshmiazdin, 10th century, the Syrian Rabbula Codex, 6th century). From an earlier drawing that was exposed during restoration works on the apse, one can see that the annunciation to Zacharias might have been the original plan, which would re-inforce the priestly ancestry of Mary’s family.
In the first nave mosaic (adjacent to the Triumphal Arch) the subject is also priesthood as seen in the meeting of Melchisedek with Abraham.
This line of thought is continued in the presentation of Jesus in the temple. Here one sees a representative of the priesthood stretching his right hand out to a matron, suggesting marriage, thus alluding to Jesus’ covenant with the church, to which Ambrosius often referred. The temple’s architecture carries features of the Roman temple, Rome’s national shrine. One of the priests is seen with the traditional physiognomy of Peter, thus a clear reference to the papacy.
(Translator: Joan Avery)
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