I have chosen to write about the Hildesheim Cathedral doors and give a horizontal reading of the Old Testament on the left and the New Testament on the right. I chose the third panel down, Temptation and Fall of Eve and Adam from the Old Testament and the Crucifixion from the New Testament. I think that it is quite obvious why these are paired together but perhaps I can go more into detail.
The Temptation and Fall of Eve and Adam, on the left, represent Original Sin being brought into the world by Adam and Eve. They were told by God to refrain from eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve could not follow this one rule. Eve was tempted by the serpent, representing evil and the devil, to eat the fruit. The serpent is seen in the panel as is Eve holding a piece of fruit and giving a piece of fruit to Adam. This, of course, brought sin into the world and in turn, paradise was lost.
The Crucifixion on the right displays Jesus on the cross, in the center, with the Virgin Mary and John the Beloved, on the far ends of the panel looking on in in sadness and helplessness. On either side of Jesus a Roman guard is shown, one stabbing Jesus in his side with a spear and the other trying offering vinegar, instead of water that was asked for by Jesus. The Roman guards are portrayed here as vengeful perhaps even evil. Christ is dying for the sins of mankind and to bring salvation to the world. Jesus sacrifices his own life in exchange for eternal paradise for all people.
These two panels are paired together to show how sin was brought into the world, Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit in spite of God’s warning, and Jesus Christ sacrificing his own life in order to save mankind from all of their sins and bringing salvation to all. These panels reveal opposite themes, bringing sin into the world by Adam and Eve, and then Jesus bringing salvation to the sinners. The panels are placed side by side for that reason, to show sin and then the forgiveness of sin. The serpent, representing evil in the Temptation and Fall of Eve and Adam, is similar to the evilness of the Roman guards in deliberately hurting and taunting Jesus as he hangs suffering and dying on the crucifix. This may be a stretch, but it looks as if the tree in the middle of the panel of the Old Testament is similar to the cross on which Jesus is later crucified, possibly foreshadowing the coming salvation of sinners.
The Hildesheim Cathedral doors are a magnificent and beautiful piece of Christian artwork. The movement of the downward reading of the Old Testament into sin and hell and then the upward reading of the New Testament into redemption and heaven has remarkable sense of hope for the viewers. And when compared side by side, the narrative of each panel has a definite connection from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
I'm glad that you compared the tree and the cross - it isn't a stretch at all! Did you notice how the tree spreads out its branches in a shape similar to the cross? In fact, I think that more similarities (and opposites) can be noted in the composition as well. The trees and lines the Adam and Eve panel are more sinuous, in contrast to the rigid lines shown in the Crucifixion.
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I really enjoyed your writing this week I get so much passion from your topic. You point out some things that are subtle yet so obvious like the cross and tree or the placement of guards and adam and eve. I think the doors are a beautiful piece of artwork telling a story in pictures much the same as previous cultures told their stories.
ReplyDeleteNice post. I find these doors very interesting. I think it is amazing how the stories in the bible work with each other in such a manner, how they build and resolve each other. I also think it is genius they way the pairs are set side by side with their respective story, but how they are also told chronologically up and down. The way the viewers head must work when reading the stories is great. The number of overlapping ways these doors can be read is incredible.
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