Depictions of Catherine of Alexandria in Initial Miniatures on the Pages of Liturgical Chant Books
Journal Title: Edukacja Muzyczna - Year 2024, Vol 19, Issue 19
Abstract
The analysis of the depictions of Saint Catherine of Alexandria is aimed at examining the choir books of the Liturgy of the Hours and potentially isolating artistic, historical and cultural connections in selected representations – miniatures and marginal decorations. The research was conducted through the lens of the hagiography of Saint Catherine in such a way as to capture scenes depicting crucial moments of her life and, above all, her martyrdom. This approach was meant to serve the primary purpose of the work, i.e. to present initial miniatures in liturgical chant books depicting images and scenes from the life of Saint Catherine and to attempt to typologize them in accordance with the hagiographic narrative. The choice of the subject matter resulted from the approaching 1000th anniversary of the organised cult of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The text begins with an introduction to the topic, followed by a brief outline of the history of the Saint’s worship in major centres in Europe and the hagiography of the Martyr, as well as a presentation of the depictions of Catherine of Alexandria preserved in the art of the Christian world. The closing chapter, which is of fundamental importance to the topic, constitutes an analysis of a selection of depictions of the Virgin of Sinai. The material collected therein contains lavish artwork – 18 miniatures depicting the Saint; these images were subsequently divided into several thematic groups according to hagiographic accounts. Antiphonaries and breviaries, two main types of books comprising the Liturgy of the Hours, were used as the primary sources for the work, as they are where miniatures depicting the Saint or – more often – scenes from her hagiography are most commonly found.
Authors and Affiliations
Julia Koszałka
Keywords
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- EP ID EP765045
- DOI 10.16926/em.2024.19.02
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