Christ In Majesty

Christ in Majesty

Christ in Majesty is a Romanesque fresco secco from the 12th century that was transferred to plaster and wood. It was originally located in the apse of the Church of Santa Maria de Mur in Catalonia, Spain but now is located in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as a gift from the Maria Antoinette Evans Fund. The fresco is a transition from Roman and Byzantine Art to Gothic Art. The artist of Christ in Majesty utilizes his art to educate people in the doctrines of the Christian faith.

Christ in Majesty is a work of art made to emphasize religion and to teach illiterate people the principles of Christianity. On the upper register one sees figures from the New Testament such as Christ surrounded by the four symbols of the evangelists (Matthew as an angel, Mark as a lion, Luke as an ox, and John as an eagle), and the seven lamps signifying the seven communities where Saint John addressed the Apocalypse . Next to the arches on the second register, the artist depicts the Twelve Apostles (with their names written next to them) and scenes from the Old Testament including the story of Cain and Abel. The most important figure is Christ because he is the son of God and the one who gave up his life so that the sins of humanity could be forgiven. He holds a book with the inscription "I am the way, I am the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (Museum of Fine Arts Plaque). The viewer can clearly see Christ as the central figure because of the inscription written on the book he holds, his size, and the mandorla around him. The iconography is not unique to this painting. There are many works like The Transfiguration of Jesus in the monastery of Saint Catherine, the fresco on the dome of the Katholikon in Hosios Loukas, and the Pantokrator, Theotokos, and Child, Angels, and Saints in Monreale, Italy that have the same iconography. The purpose of these works is to familiarize the community with the teachings from the Bible.

The major purpose of Roman painting is to depict mythological scenes, portraits of different people, and landscapes. Unlike Medieval painting, Roman painting does not have a specific scene to show nor a particular doctrine to teach. Some scenes might denote the same theme, but the artist tries to individualize his work by playing with the elements. In Romanesque painting the iconographical demands do not allow artists to illustrate the same icons in different ways. To spread Christianity, the symbols need to remain the same everywhere to make the message easier to understand. In Christ in Majesty the halo is an example of the recurring iconographic element. A halo around someone's head means that the person is a saint. Christ, the evangelists, and the Twelve Apostles have halos to point out their religious significance. Individualization is no longer important on Medieval works because artists focus on the expansion of the Christian message.

The figures in Christ in Majesty are less naturalistic than the ones in the Dionysiac mystery frieze (second style Roman), located in the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. The figures of Christ in Majesty seem flatter because their outline is stronger than the ones on the Roman fresco. When the artist outlines a form (a three dimensional figure), the form becomes a shape (a two dimensional figure). The shadows in the Romanesque fresco are represented by thick black lines or by using different tones. Under Christ eyes the spectator sees turquoise circles, instead of black circles. Around the eyes of some of the Apostles, one can see shadows which are shown by the darker brown and turquoise tones. Brown and turquoise lines around Christ's nose serve to show shadows. Using these tones to depict shadows makes the image less naturalistic because they are extremely different from the ivory, light brown flesh tones the figures possess. No one has turquoise under eye circles. Moreover, the proportions of Christ and the symbols of the four evangelists are unnatural. No one can be as tall as them. The Apostles are smaller than Christ and have the same height; however, they are still tall and have elongated legs and feet. Abel and Cain are shown in a smaller scale and their legs are too long for their bodies too. On the Dionysiac frieze, the figures seem more realistic because the use of tones is appropriate for the depiction of shadows since the colors are not equal to the flesh tone but they are not too dark to make the forms looks flat. Also, there is no heavy outline of the body. The proportions seem more natural. The legs are the appropriate size for their bodies. The lack of naturalism is another way to show that an accurate depiction is not necessary for Medieval artists. As long as people understand that Christ is the savior and the most powerful figure there is no need to concentrate on the representation of natural forms.

The clothing of the figures makes this work move away from Ancient Classical works of art. In Ancient Classical works figures are illustrated nude or the drapery accommodates to the body, just like on the Nike of Samothrace. In the Romanesque painting, Christ and the Apostles are wearing segmenta and clavi. The drapery is formed by geometric patterns which are illustrated by brushstrokes of superimposed lines. This technique gives the figures the impression of stiffness. Also, one can not get the sense that bodies exist under those robes. The only exception to this is the symbol of Matthew, an angel. The angel is standing on one knee and has the other knee bent. The artist uses a brushstroke to show the segmenta accommodating to the knee; yet, the brushstroke is done in such a way that the figure seems rigid. In Medieval times people do not place importance on the gracefulness and lifelike elements which were seen in Classical Art. Artists concentrate more on expressing clearly the Christian beliefs than on the aesthetic values.

When one looks at the fresco of Santa Maria de Mur, one does not get a sense of where the figures are standing. There is no real