Albrecht Durer and Symbolism

     

Self Portrait

Albrecht Durer is perhaps one of the most admired artists in the history of German art. Classically trained in woodcut and painting under Michael Wolgemut, he is known for his beautiful works. Attention to detail, line, and astounding complexity are the trademarks of Durer’s pieces. However, what many viewers fail to consider, is the imagination and mastery with which Durer crafted symbolism in to each creation. Durer was extremely inventive as an artist, pushing the limits of print making. This quality also came through in his art; using plants, animals, tools, and what appeared to be insignificant objects to add detail and a story to each piece. A few examples of pieces which hold particularly interesting symbolism are Adam and Eve and Melancholia I. 

     Adam and Eve is one of Durer’s most well-known pieces of art. The engraving was created in 1504, and shows the Biblical scene of Adam and Eve accepting the forbidden fruit from the serpent. However, aside from the main characters, there are many other animals placed in the background and foreground. We can see that there are four animals in the lower right; the bull, rabbit, elk, and cat. These animals are meant to be representations of the four humors, or temperaments. In Durer’s modern day, it was believed that every person has all four, but their personality (both strengths and weaknesses) were determined by their most dominant humor. 

     The bull is a phlegmatic humor, being calm and unemotional. The rabbit is sanguine, and is characterized by being sensual, courageous, and hopeful. The elk is melancholic; despondent, sleepless, and irritable. Lastly, the cat is choleric, being cruel, easily angered, and feminine. Which creature/humor do you identify with the most?

     However, these are not the only creatures drawn with symbolism. The mouse beneath Adam represents male weakness. Above him, the parrot is the reminder of salvation (an antidote to the serpent). The serpent himself displays evil, and the goat lust and damnation. So while this piece may seem like a dynamic visual of the garden of eden at first glance, further examination shows that it is truly an emotional depiction of the spiritual layers within the scene.

     In his 1514 piece Melancholia I, created 10 years later, Durer uses a wider range of objects to provide symbolism. As shown in Adam and Eve, “melancholic” is a part of the four humors. It is considered the least desirable humor because it is characterized by depression, apathy, and insanity. The one advantage being that those being dominantly melancholic are creative and intelligent. Trades traditionally associated with being melancholic include carpenters, artists, mathematicians, and grammarians. These are the types of things which Durer strives to bring forth in the symbolism of his composition. The hammer is representative of the carpenter, the compass the mathematician, and the putto with notebook the grammarian. Inanimate objects such as the keys, purse, and bell stand for power, wealth, and eternity. The bat represents darkness. In ancient times, the suggested remedy for melancholy was boiled bats. How curious! 

     Durer also incorporates an element of astrology, in that the comet shown is a sign of Saturn. Saturn is known as the god associated with melancholy. Also pictured, the magic square shows an orderliness of numbers, with each line, whether it be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, adding up to 34. This was believed to attract Jupiter, who was thought to be the god who could heal the damage done by Saturn.      Another curious note is that the piece was made in 1514, the same year which Durer’s mother died. 

     Curiosities and symbolism aside, it is a beautiful piece created by the hand of a true master. I believe that these little intricacies give us a window into how Durer thought and felt while creating. However, some of Durer’s work is much less obvious in their symbolism. Below are a few pieces which I found curious - and have left me wondering as to their meanings! What do you think Durer was trying to say with these pieces?

Bearded Child

Catherine Heller with Coat of Arms

Old Bags with Money

Peasant Woman

Madonna and Child

For an Albrecht Durer exerience, visit his home in Tiergärtnertorplatz for a guided tour given by his "wife."

Sources:

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/durr/hd_durr.htm

http://www.clarkart.edu/exhibitions/durer/content/symbolism-melencolia.cfm

http://museums.nuremberg.de/duerer-house/

http://www.albrecht-durer.org/the-complete-works.html

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/durer.html

The Book of Kells

 

A portrait of Columba.

The Book of Kells is a beautiful and commanding ancient Irish illuminated manuscript. The manuscript supposedly originated in the historic town of Kells, about 20 miles west of the Irish Channel. It is rumored that the manuscript was written and illuminated there in honor of St. Columba. However the last few pages which would have given the scribe, illuminator, and place of origin have been gone for many years.

The town of Kells today.

     Origin aside, it is a wonder that the Book of Kells survives to be with us today. The town of Kells and the surrounding area struggled with continuous foreign aggression from the ninth century to the end of the tenth century. In 899 the Abbey was pillaged, and in 918 the town was again plundered and the church destroyed. There are at least 5 other historical records of the area being pillaged during the period, mostly by the Danes and Leinster people. The book was lost for some time. It was recorded in the year 1006 that the “large Gospel of Colum Cille...the chief relic of the western world” was stolen from the church at Kells. Then, much later, it was found hidden under sod, albeit without its original gold-covered binding. It’s remarkable that this piece of history survived such a tumultuous time!

 

    Ornate pages from the Book of Kells.

     In its current state, the manuscript is comprised of 339 pages of glazed vellum decorated with brilliant coloring and elaborate, interlaced ornaments. One of the most beautiful illuminations in the manuscript is a full-page illustration of the Virgin and Child. Professor Westwood gives a thorough description of the page and its details:

This singular composition is interesting from the proof it affords of the veneration of the Virgin Mary in the early Irish Church; the large size in which she is represented, as well as the glory round her head (which singularly bears three small crosses), evidently indicating the high respect with which the Mother of Christ was regarded. The infant Saviour, it will be observed, is destitute of the nimbus; the chair or throne on which the Virgin is seated is not devoid of elegance, terminating above in the dog's head with an immensely elongated interlaced tongue. The drawing of the whole is entirely puerile, whilst the ingenuity displayed in the intricate patterns of the sides and upper part of the drawing is quite remarkable. This singular interlacing of the limbs of human figures is peculiarly characteristic of the Irish MSS., and it is accordingly found in the Gospels of MacRegol and the Book of St. Chad. The instrument held by the Angel at the right hand of the foot of the drawing is worthy of remark, being analogous to one of the sceptres held by St. Luke in the Book of St. Chad. 

Virgin and Child from the Book of Kells.

     In addition to Westwood’s dialogue, there are a few curiosities on this page which may be noted. The Virgin’s abnormally large size parallels with sculptures found on monolith crosses outside of St. Columba’s house at Kells. In addition, the figure of Christ is much larger than the attendant figures. This is an early Irish convention used to show importance. Another feature shown is a group of six figures in the small panel to the lower right. They are all turned away from the main figures, and historians note that there is no other instance of miniatures portrayed this way in the Virgin and Child. Lastly, and perhaps the most curious of all, is that the feet of the Virgin are both right feet, and those of Christ are both left feet! There has been no explanation for why the image is portrayed this way.

Crosses in Kells displaying imagery similar to that in the Book of Kells.

 
     This is just a brief overview of the history and beauty that is contained in the Book of Kells. For individuals who are interested in learning more, the entire manuscript is available for download onto the iPad. While it is a small comparison to seeing the beautiful pages in person, it is a wonderful way to experience the beauty of the manuscript anywhere. You can also learn more about the Book of Kells in the documentary featured below, which is free to watch on Youtube.

Visit www.bookofkells.com to download the full manuscript for the iPad.

Sources:

http://sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/bok/bok04.htm

http://historymedren.about.com/od/bookofkell1/p/book_of_kells.htm
http://www.bookofkellscollection.com/history-of-the-book-of-kells.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08614b.htm