“For the Gothic artist the clarity of the image, the truth that was depicted, was more important than an illusion of reality”
Buildings in the Gothic Form
The artist of the Gothic period strove for simplicity and clarity. They would often sacrifice realism in order to create a work that was more clearly understood by the viewer.
Buildings are one example of this principle in practice. Ask yourself what is the minimum that must be present in order for the viewer to see, for example, a building? For the medieval artist the answer might be that a building is defined as any structure with walls and a roof. Since size varies, size is not an essential characteristic of a building. This explains why we have the odd, to the modern eye, result of a person entering what is essentially a miniature building through a full size door. As long as the person can enter the building, then the idea of the building is retained, even if in reality the building pictured would be the size of a child’s playhouse.
Perspective drawing, or the lack of it, is another characteristic of Iconographic and Gothic art. Everything is oriented toward the viewer and every element in a painting is approximately the same distance away. You do not, for example, see a row of columns receding into the distance where the column farthest away from the viewer is smaller than the column closest to the viewer. In its simplest form this is “one point perspective.” All the horizontal lines converge to single point on the horizon, giving the illusion of depth.
For the Gothic artist the clarity of the image, the truth that was depicted, was more important than an illusion of reality. Rather than “one point perspective,” you might encounter what is generally called “orthographic perspective,” in which all the horizontal lines are parallel. They may be at an angle of 30 or 45 degrees to the horizontal, but they are all parallel to each other. In the Morgan Bible this type of perspective is most commonly used in the frieze along the top of the page or the panels.
More often than nor when it is necessary to depict a building in a scene the artists of the Morgan bible use a simple elevation rendering. It is what you might see if you stood in front of a building and just looked at the front facade. Often the side of the building is included as simply a continuation of the front.
When contemplating the imagery of the Morgan Bible it is important to remember that it is a product of the 13th century and much of the imagery was immediately understood by contemporary viewers.
This page, MS M.638, fol. 3V, shows Abraham’s rescue of his nephew Lot, the blessing of Melchizedek, and the corruption of the city of Sodom.
The Victory of Abraham
Along the top of the image we see that Abraham has heard of the capture of Lot. He assembles the fighting men of his household and sets off to rescue his nephew. In Genesis we are told that the fighting force consisted of 318 men. The Gothic artist did not see the need to try to depict over three hundred soldiers. Instead, one or two upfront with the suggestion of three or four behind them, was enough to convey the idea of a large force.
In times of war, medieval kings or generals set up their headquarters far behind the battle lines in large elaborate tents known as pavilions. The right part of the upper image shows that Abraham’s army has overrun the opposing force to the extent that they have reached the commander’s tents in the rear.
Melchizedek
He lower left quadrant of the painting shows Abraham, having rescued Lot and his family, receives an offering of bread and wine from Melchizedek, the high priest of Jerusalem. Melchizedek is vested as a bishop wearing both a dalmatic and a chasuble, a common practice in the 13th century.
This offering of bread and wine is seen in Christian typology as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist.
The Wickedness of Sodom
In the lower right quadrant the scene shifts. Notice that there is no figure crossing the column that separates the two. This indicates that it is not a continuation of the lower left but a shift in time and place. In this panel we see the wickedness of the city of Sodom. Lot’s two visitors are inside the house while a mob outside is calling for them to be handed over. Lot stands in the doorway of his house prepared to offer them his daughters instead.
The visitors were angels sent by the Lord. Rather than dishonor God’s messengers Lot offers his daughters to the mob in their place. The text accompanying the image is very clear on the intent of the crowd. The crowd refuses the virgin daughters and the angels draw Lot back into his house while they strike the crowd with blindness.
Lot’s house is shown in a simple elevation rendering. The upper part of the building suggests Lot’s wealth while the arches allow us to see the residents inside. The doorway of course is included as it is essential to the story, but it is not essential that the house be shown anywhere near a realistic size. The crowd, like Abraham’s force, is symbolized by a couple of figures with the suggestion of more. Genesis speaks of “the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man.”
David and Bathsheba
Another folio, MS M.638, fol. 41V, shows the story of David seeing Bathsheba from the rooftop. I include a detail here as another example of how the artists of the Morgan Bible have chosen to depict buildings.
For more information on the Maciejowski Bible visit the Morgan Museum website at https://www.themorgan.org/collection/Crusader-Bible