A Subtle Christmas Transition

Its sometimes strange to realize that Nativity scenes did not always have an array of cute farm animals and adoring idealized figures. Such as my creche display of precious moments figurines I inherited from my mother:

But originally Mary was depicted, as every post birth mother should be, reclining happily (or not so happily), having survived the terribly dangerous but completely necessary function of child birth. As seen here by Giovanni Pisano on the pulpit in the Cathedral at Pisa:

See, Mary doesn't look to happy here. She's exhausted, and she is reaching for her baby because she knows whats going to happen to it, and all the strife she is going to go through because of him. Not to mention his strife too, that's important.

And that might be the reason there is a huge change in the way the nativity scene is depicted. The church, seeing up north the cult of the virgin going way too far. Ie: the Notre Dames popping up in every city with momentous portal sculpture to her name. Along with all kinds of scenes that weren't in the bible but only in some story that talks about her life, death, assumption, and coronation. No where in the bible does it even mention her as being divine. But she got crowned queen of heaven anyway. The Roman gods would've thrown a fit.

Regardless, the Pope didn't want the virgin being exalted more than himself. And neither did the houty-touty rulers of communal governments in Italy. They were in charge, and Jesus Christ was their savior, not his mother.

And along came St. Bridgette, who had wild visions about the Virgin and Christ's birth. She didn't see Mary bent over in agony, or drowsily sleeping in the bed, the virgin was kneeling praying at the feet of her glowing son/sun Jesus.

Obviously, St. Bridgette never had any children. For one, any baby would be crying up a storm, laying there all cold and unswaddled. And If I was Mary, I would be throwing stuff at Joesph until he found me a proper bed to sleep in. But that's me, creature of comfort I am.

So, this is why all nativity scenes anymore look like the above. Mary clearly amazed that her baby is glowing, shes forgotten about the pain that she just went through and the pain she is going to have. Which, is certainly something to think about. Besides HOW ON EARTH DO WE DEPICT A GLOWING BABY? question artists faced, there is also the question about why this was adopted by everyone so quickly. Theologically at least. Certainly, the image of the exhausted Mary is easier for women to relate to. So could this change only have taken place to help encourage men to seek the wisdom of Mary?

Thoughts for your Christmas Eve. Marry Christmas! May ponderous thoughts of art dance with Abbot Suger and candy canes in your heads. (See, he has a candy cane!)

The Great Sigismondo Malatesta

As I mentioned before Sigismondo Malatesta is one of my favorite historical characters.

He was a condottiero, essentially a mercenary leader in fifteenth century Italy. He was known for his victories, betrayals, and his love hate relationship with the church.

While he doesn't have anything on Henry the VIII, he does have quite a record with his wives. His first wife was both his niece and or his first cousin, and related to him on his mother's side. She mysteriously died very shortly after their marriage, and Sigi was soon implicated in her death, with many rumors circulating that she was poisoned. Despite these rumors he convinced Francesco Sforza's illegitimate daughter to marry him, and she too died under "strange" circumstances. Despite her being illegitimate, Sforza was not pleased, and a blood feud ensued.

His mistressses faired better while he was alive at least. He finally married her, and he planned to have both of their tombs placed on the facade of Sigi's Tempio Malatestiano. They would have been in the two niches on each side of the doors.

Their church was also filled with lots of fun pagan imagery. Such as this fun image of Saturn, doing? Probably killing sigi because he did so many horrible wrong things, besides killing his wives...

Lovely? And Strange. This is 1450. Saturn looks like a Grecian woman harvesting wheat? Leon Batista Alberti designed the church, and he had a deep interest in classical art, but the affect is lost or at least misconstrued here. It is, very strange indeed. The temple is also filled with another fantastical Renaissance artist, Piero Della Francesca, who all art historians love, though for what reason I am unable to determine (Probably the same reason they like post impressionism). These frescos include scenes of St. Sigi, yes Sigi was named after a saint, though he too was a saint also (more later), doing the mundane things that he did in his life that make sainthood look like a breeze.

While some people can say that the very task of undertaking rebuilding a church makes Sigi a very religious person. But, Sigi was friends with the pope at the time, and got LOTS of indulgences to do it. Indulgences are pretty much Christianities get out of jail free card when you get to that big line to get into heaven.

But, the next pope was not such a big fan. Not only did this pope Pius II declared him an enemy of the church because of treachery towards Siena. This, probably had more to do with the pope's allegiances to Sigi's enemies, than Sigi's evil doing. Nevertheless, Sigi was promptly accused of all kinds of lewd acts, including incest (which he was guilty of marrying his cousin, duh) and sodomizing his children.

Sigi was not happy about this, and publicly sodomized the pope's emissary in response.

The Pope then doomed Sigi to Hell and canonized him there, as a sort of double punishment. As if the hierarchy of Hell is Devil, bad angles, St. Sigi, and everyone else.

Sigi tried to fight them, but they were all aligned together, and eventually he gave up, dying in his home town of Rimini, Yes Rimini. The place of pagan temples and sodomy.

Sigismondo is one of the craziest characters I've come across, and one of my favorites. He teaches us the wonderful lesson to not screw over your friends. And also, the church might give you indulgences to get you through the line quicker, but it can also make that line go straight to Hell.

Da-da-da!

The inaugural post of Medieval Art and More.

I intend to use this blog to share all the hilarious stories, wonderful characters, and my favorite things I learn about in Art History. Mostly because my friends are sick of me coming to them, overly excited, ranting and raving about the latest Da Vinci conspericies, or what Sigismundo Malatesta did in 1452, or how many times Eleanor of Aquatain got divorced and remarried, and how the shape of France changed because of her.

Hopefully, there are readers out there who enjoy blogs like Got Medieval and Ugly Renaissance Babies, and will enjoy my rantings just as much.

If there is one thing I love to do, its talk about medieval art, and if you enjoy it, thanks for reading. If you don't, i'll throw in some medieval marginalia monkeys and we will see if you can say no to them.