Hare flask by German glassworks, 18th century, National Museum in Warsaw Rabbits also live underground, an echo of the tomb of Christ. The phenomenon of superfetation, where embryos from different menstrual cycles are present in the uterus, results in hares and rabbits being able to give birth seemingly without having been impregnated, which caused them to be seen as symbols of virginity. Together with the basket of bread and wine, a symbol of the sacrificial death of Christ, the picture may be interpreted as the resurrection of Christ after death. The unusual presentation in Christian iconography of a Madonna with the Christ Child playing with a white rabbit in Titian's Madonna of the Rabbit can thus be interpreted Christologically. This explains their role in connection with Easter, the resurrection of Christ. The idea of rabbits as a symbol of vitality, rebirth and resurrection derives from antiquity. Though they have six ears, the three hares shown in Albrecht Dürer's woodcut, The Holy Family with Three Hares (1497), can also be seen as a symbol of the Trinity. The Hasenfenster (hare windows) in Paderborn Cathedral and in the Muotathal Monastery in Switzerland, in which three hares are depicted with only three ears between them, forming a triangle, can be seen as a symbol of the Trinity, and probably go back to an old symbol for the passage of time. Whether a representation of a hare in Medieval art represents man falling to his doom or striving for his eternal salvation is therefore open to interpretation, depending on context. Thus the rabbit can have a negative connotation of unbridled sexuality and lust or a positive meaning as a symbol of the steep path to salvation. The negative view of the rabbit as an unclean animal, which derived from the Old Testament, always remained present for medieval artists and their patrons. Basil, men should seek his salvation in the rock of Christ, rather than descending to seek worldly things and falling into the hands of the devil. Likewise, according to the teaching of St. The Physiologus, a resource for medieval artists, states that when in danger the rabbit seeks safety by climbing high up rocky cliffs, but when running back down, because of its short front legs, it is quickly caught by its predators. In Early Christian art, hares appeared on reliefs, epitaphs, icons and oil lamps although their significance is not always clear. Venus, Mars and Cupid by Piero di Cosimo, a Cupid lying on Venus clings to a white rabbit. In late antiquity it was used as a symbol of good luck and in connection with ancient burial traditions. The hare served as an attribute of Aphrodite and as a gift between lovers. It thus became a symbol of vitality, sexual desire and fertility. Herodotus, Aristotle, Pliny and Claudius Aelianus all described the rabbit as one of the most fertile of animals. In Classical Antiquity, the hare, because it was prized as a hunting quarry, was seen as the epitome of the hunted creature that could survive only by prolific breeding. In any case, a three hares motif was a prominent part of many Synagogues. 16th century German scholar Rabbi Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, saw the rabbits as a symbol of the Diaspora. Although rabbits were a non- kosher animal in the Bible, positive symbolic connotations were sometimes noted, as for lions and eagles. The " shafan" in Hebrew has symbolic meaning. In Judaism, the rabbit is considered an unclean animal, because "though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof." This led to derogatory statements in the Christian art of the Middle Ages, and to an ambiguous interpretation of the rabbit's symbolism. The rabbit as a gift in courtship, exterior detail of a red-figure kylix, (Athens c.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |