Chapter 15 / Procession and Adoration of the Magi

Florence, Italy / 1423

This painting was commissioned in Florence in 1423 and was carried out by Gentile da Fabriano. The painting is very elaborate in the gothic style. The painting depicts a procession that winds its way to where the three Magi are worshiping Jesus. The procession spreads itself throughout the entire painting, taking four turns and eventually leading to Jesus. The crowded aspect and attention to detail really show the bustle and excitement that Jesus' birth created. Along with human figures in the crows, exotic animals are also littered around the painting. You can see birds, horses, monkeys, a leopard, bulls, and more. This could symbolize that Jesus' birth was not just important for humanity, but for the entirety of the world and its creatures.

The panels show other stories surrounding the birth of Jesus. In the foreground, the three magi are shown offering Jesus gifts, but these three men can also be seen in the background, indicating that their procession is continuous, and the observer could follow the painting like a story. On the far left, the men search for a star to guide them to Jesus. Once they find the star, they lead the procession to Jerusalem (shown in the center panel). The entire painting includes stories-within-stories. To the bottom right, a dog looks up in fear that a horse may step on him. On the far left, two women are inspecting a gift that was presented to Jesus. This attention to detail highlights the importance of Jesus' birth, as well as the technique of Fabriano.

The gold detailing shows an aspect of wealth. This relates to the fact that Jesus is as/more important than royalty, but also represents the wealth of the commissioner. The painting was commissioned by Florence's richest merchant, Palla Strozzi, to decorate his family chapel in the sanctity of Santa Trinita.

Chapter 13 / Rose Window (north) & Lancets

Chartres Cathedral / 13th century

This elaborate stained glass window reside in the Chartres Cathedral, 40 miles southwest of Paris. The cathedral includes three "rose windows", one (the north one) which will be talked about in detail in this post. They are called rose windows because of their circular formation and the arrangement of smaller windows in a rose like, circular formation. The construction of the cathedral lasted from around 1134 to 1220. The circular bit is referred to as the Rose Window while the five windows below are lancets.

In the center of the circular window, Mary is shown holding the baby Jesus. Surrounding her are images of doves and angels carrying candlesticks, showing that this is no typical mother and child, but one of heavenly nature. Next, the twelve major prophets circle them in diamond windows. Next, there are twelve quartrefoil windows showing lily's, which is a common symbol that Mary is often shown holding in the annunciation, indicating purity (since she was a virgin at the time of Jesus' birth). Also present are the signs of the french king and his mother, showing royal patronage for the window.

Below this circular window are five lancets. In order, they include King Melchizedek, King David, St. Anne with the young virgin, King Solomon, and Aaron. The middle window shows the virgin Mary as a child being held by her mother. Each of the Old Testament figures in the other four lancets are shown symbolically standing over enemies that they have defeated, for example, David stands over Saul, and Aaron stands over Pharaoh.

The amount of detail in the window is overwhelming and amazing. Each of the other rose windows also depict scenes through symbols, including the creation story and the last judgement. Since much of the population that would have spent time in the cathedral during the time of its construction in the 13th century would have been illiterate, it is important that the scenes in the bible are not only written down, but also read aloud, and heightened by the visual representation of scenes that the beautiful windows provide.

Chapter 11 / Four Evangelists

Carolingian art / c. 820

Education was a very important part of Charlemagne's Roman revival, so manuscripts played a significant role in his goals of restoring the culture of antiquity. The fact that manuscripts were portable made them a very practical form of artistic and educational communication.

The Four Evangelists, shown above, are from a Carolingian Gospel book. The manuscript depicts the four saints (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) with their respective symbols. Matthew is shown with a an angel, Mark with a lion, Luke with an ox and John with an eagle. All symbols are shown with wings. The background to the painting is rolling hells, but the focus is clearly on the four evangelists. The fact that each man is shown with just a hint of red really draws the observer's attention towards them. The background colors are pretty muted grey and blue, save for the hint of a sunset in the background. Each gospel writer is shown facing away from the others, indicating a unity (because of the symmetry) but also a separation since they don't seem to be working together.

The artist's choices of symbols for each of the gospel writers is very intentional. Matthew's is an angel since he typically focuses on Jesus in the human form. Mark speaks of Jesus in a very courageous light, so it would make sense that a lion, which is often seen as an animal symbolizing courage, is used. Luke's symbol is an ox which represents that he sees and writes about Jesus in a way of strength and sacrifice, since he gives a lot of attention to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Finally, John's symbol is a an eagle, which is a pretty magical creature that holds a lot of grace and can fly. This manuscript is full of iconography and meaning behind every brush stroke.

Chapter 9 / Trajan's Column

Rome / 113 AD

Trajan's column, standing nearly 100 feet tall(125 feet, including it's large pedestal), can be found in Rome. It is a triumphal column that commemorates emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian wars. Trajan was the emperor of Rome from 97-117 AD, and is remembered as a great emperor for his military expansion which led to maximum Roan territory expansion. The column was built around 113 AD and stands in Trajan's Forum, just north of the Roman forum. A frieze spirals (similar to a ribbon) up the length of the column, starting around 1 meter high at the base and reaching about 1.2 meters near the top, allowing for the viewer to see the carvings at the top. This method is similar to how columns taper near the top to create the illusion of continuity.

The column consists of marble drums cut horizontally and placed on top on one another. Supporting the column is a podium that is decorated with carvings of the spoils of the war. Trajan's ashes are placed in a repository at the base of the column. The scenes are carved in high relief into the column.

Starting at the base of the column, the first four bands of the ribbon depict Trajan's Roman army preparing for their campaign. A giant, bearded river god, personifying the Danube, watches as Trajan leads the Roman army out of the walled city. Moving up the column, the second level depicts army camp and the capture of a spy. Throughout the entire column, background figures are raised above foreground figures, basically eliminating blank space on the column. By showing this crowded nature, the column really shows the bustling energy of Rome during the first century, especially cities preparing for war, as was happening at the construction of the column. Each figure is carved with great detail.