Medieval Art in a Modern World Essay -- Essays Papers

Medieval Art in a Modern WorldWhen I was looking at different works of art from the Middle Ages in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (medieval wing), one in particular caught my attention. Entitled Plaque with the agony and the Stabbing of Hades, this piece embodies life and death, mirth and defeat, divinity and humanity. Carved in ivory, this plaque, depicting the Passion of Christ with an allusion to Hades (god of the underworld), is from the mid-tenth century, or Middle Byzantine era, and was made in Constantinople. The plaque depicts the death of Christ as a triumph over Hades and thus presents a victory for mans salvation. Centered in the plaque is Christs limp body, his head pause low to the right, arms outstretched, and knees slightly bent. On the left side of the plaque is Mary, Jesus mother, mourning the death of her son, the Messiah. On the other side is John the Baptist, also in mourning. Beneath Christs feet are three Roman soldiers, shown dividing his garment. Mary, Joh n, and the soldiers are many times portrayed as the main witnesses of Jesus woeful for his mercy on humanity. To the immediate left and right of Christ are two angels waiting to escort their Lord back to heaven. Its title is self-descriptive. The plaque itself is ardent in representation and represents more generally the religious devotion present in the medieval period. Since Christianity was a very large part of medieval society, the Crucifixion was a central theme in Go...