Artibus et Historiae no. 39 (XX)

1999, ISSN 0391-9064

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LECH KALINOWSKI - Salomon and Wisdom. Remarks on the Iconography of the Creation of the World in the Antiquitates Iudaicae of the Musée at Chantilly

The representation of the seven days of the Creation of the World making up the initial IN of the Antiquitates ludaicae (fol. 3) produced in the Abbey of Saint Trond at the time of the Abbot Wiric (1165—1180) is framed by several typological scenes related to the idea of the Redemption of Man by Christ. This program is enriched by two royal figures identifiable as Salomon, in his capacity as the author of the sapiential books and the prefigure of Christ (Christus verus Salomon), and as Wisdom (Sapientia creata ante omnem creaturam). To visualize both persons the miniaturist took as a model their images used to be placed traditionally, in the 12th century, each at the beginning of one of the sapiential books.

The typological scenes juxtapose Abraham's Sacrifice of Isaac and Jesus crucified; Noah with the grape of grapevine and the Personification of the church: Ecclesia holding a chal­ice; Adam lying in the tomb and the Descent of Christ into the Limbo.

The choice of the subjects conforms with Proverbs 8:22, which underline that the very beginning of the World denotes not only the Creation of the Matter, but rather the Word, that is Jesus, through whom God created the World. Already in the Targum of Jerusalem the word "Word" is understood as an equivalent of "through the Wisdom".




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