
The Fruit of Devotion
Mysticism and the imagery of love in Flemish paintings of the Virgin and Child, 1450-1550
Reindert L. Falkenburg(Author)
John Benjamins Publishing Co
Published on 27. January 1994
Book
Hardback
244 pages
978-90-272-5335-4 (ISBN)
Description
Against the background of the wide-spread 'love' spirituality of the late Middle Ages, the book takes as its central theme the 'taste' metaphor which appears in paintings featuring the Virgin and Child, belonging to the genre of the Andachtsbild.
The first chapter describes the use of fruit and flowers as sensory presentations to the Christ Child. The author traces the origin of this motif and explains how the consumption of fruit and the smelling of flowers point to symbolic connotations of love, virtuousness and the suffering of Christ.
While the second chapter focuses on 'taste' metaphors in late medieval devotional tracts about spiritual Gardens of Love, the third chapter deals with the role of gustative imagery in late medieval religious experience in general. Special attention is paid to meditational prayers in Books of Hours and song texts.
In the final chapter the author gives an iconological interpretation of the 'taste' metaphor in a whole range of contemporary Virgin and Child Andachtsbilder, explaining that the fragrance and flavour imagery is intended to induce the viewer, through meditation on the image, to identify emphatically with Christ.
The first chapter describes the use of fruit and flowers as sensory presentations to the Christ Child. The author traces the origin of this motif and explains how the consumption of fruit and the smelling of flowers point to symbolic connotations of love, virtuousness and the suffering of Christ.
While the second chapter focuses on 'taste' metaphors in late medieval devotional tracts about spiritual Gardens of Love, the third chapter deals with the role of gustative imagery in late medieval religious experience in general. Special attention is paid to meditational prayers in Books of Hours and song texts.
In the final chapter the author gives an iconological interpretation of the 'taste' metaphor in a whole range of contemporary Virgin and Child Andachtsbilder, explaining that the fragrance and flavour imagery is intended to induce the viewer, through meditation on the image, to identify emphatically with Christ.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Amsterdam
Netherlands
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
84 bl./wh. ills., bibl. index
Dimensions
Height: 245 mm
Width: 174 mm
Weight
730 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-272-5335-4 (9789027253354)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
1. Preface; 2. 1. Fragrance and flavour - allusions to the undepictable; 3. 2. The godliness of 'taste': literary witnesses; 4. 3. Metaphors of consumption in the religious language of love of late Middle Ages; 5. 4. Taste metaphors in late medieval devotional paintings; 6. Notes; 7. Bibliography; 8. List of illustrations; 9. Photographic acknoledgments; 10. Illustrations; 11. Index