Christ in Majesty [recto] c. early 12th century

Curator: The raw vulnerability in this image grabs me right away, the material fragility evident at the paper’s edge mirroring a more profound emotional rawness. Editor: I see that. Well, let’s orient our listeners. What we have here is a drawing dating from the early 12th century. The piece, “Christ in Majesty,” created with ink and tempera and potentially watercolour and colored pencil, is an intriguing example of Romanesque or possibly even early Byzantine art. Curator: Right, the visual language screams Byzantium— the flattening of space, the almond eyes. But, filtered, of course, through a medieval European lens. I wonder about the artist’s awareness of, and intentions for, depicting divinity through this cultural understanding. Editor: The symbols speak volumes, of course. We see Christ enthroned within a mandorla, a halo of light representing divine glory. The Evangelist symbols also hold significance; do you see them? The winged man, the eagle… What do those say to you? Curator: Well, classically they signify the Gospel writers, Matthew and John respectively. It seems relevant considering how the composition and imagery position Christ in relation to them as symbols of the evolving, textual narratives in relation to which His life held power. But I want to know, given what seems to be the raw, sketched character of this piece - was it meant as a study, rather than an "end product" meant for worship. If so, the rawness could represent a rare glimpse into the actual artistic PROCESS behind iconic religious visual vocabulary. Editor: That's fascinating! Perhaps we can also consider the cultural anxieties present during that period in Western Europe. The struggle for authority, religious reforms... this Christ, framed in Byzantine iconic codes, may represent a need to connect with older, supposedly purer forms of Christian authority in contrast to the ever-shifting geopolitics surrounding the papal office. Curator: Exactly! It pulls in so many sociopolitical directions...it really speaks to the identity crisis the artist and their patron may have been experiencing! Editor: A rich, multifaceted dialogue embedded within a seemingly simple image. Food for thought, indeed. Curator: Definitely something to consider as you wander on to the next piece.