The Liturgy of Love: Images from the Song of Songs in the Art of Cimabue, Michelangelo and RembrandtThree essays explore three great masterworks of European art that visualize the relationship between spiritual and physical love expressed passionately and graphically in the biblical Song of Songs. Marilyn Aronberg Lavin writes on Cimabue's vast fresco cycle of the Virgin in the apse of San Francesco in Assisi, at the threshold of the Renaissance, where the Franciscan belief in the bodily Assumption is couched in terms of the Old Testament love poem. Irving Lavin demonstrates how the invocation of love in the Song of Songs molded the form of Michelangelo's Medici Madonna as well as his concept for the entire design and meaning of the Medici mortuary chapel in San Lorenzo, Florence. Writing together, the Lavins reveal the generative power of biblical fulfillment in Rembrandt's famous portrayal of a loving couple, called The Jewish Bride. Marilyn Aronberg Lavin is known for her fundamental work on the history of mural decoration in the churches of Italy, and is the recipient of the coveted Morey Award for Distinguished Scholarship from the College Art Association. Irving Lavin, Professor in the School of Historical Studies, Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, is best known for his work on the Italian Baroque sculpture Gianlorenzo Bernini, but his publications range over a wide span of Western art, from Late Antiquity to Jackson Pollock. Marilyn Lavin has been a visiting professor at Princeton University since 1975. Irving Lavin holds the chair in art history at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey. |
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angels apostles appears apse Assisi Assumption beloved body Bonaventure breast bride called Canticle century Child Christ Christian Church Cimabue cited concept copy couple crossing cycle dated death dedication described detail developed discussed divine drawing eagle early embrace Evangelist example expression face fact Figure final Florence four Francis Franciscan fresco friars gesture Giovanni hand heaven holds identified illustrations important interpretation Isaac Italy Jewish John later Legend legs liturgy Madonna manuscript Maria marriage Mary Mary's meaning Medici Chapel Michelangelo Buonarroti mother motif narrative noted Old Testament painting papal Parma passage passion Photo physical Pope portrait present Rebecca reference relation relationship Rembrandt represented Resurrection Rome San Francesco San Lorenzo says scene seated sermons side Song of Songs spiritual takes theme throne tier tomb tradition Upper Church Virgin wall woman
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Liturgy of Love: Images from the Song of Songs in the Art of Cimabue, Michelangelo and Rembrandt Volume 14 of Franklin D. Murphy lectures |
| Authors | Marilyn Aronberg Lavin, Irving Lavin |
| Contributor | Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, 2001 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Nov 19, 2009 |
| ISBN | 091368936X, 9780913689363 |
| Length | 159 pages |
| Subjects | › Religion / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |