“From the Dust of the Earth”: The First Man’s Formation as an Essential Part of the Theological Message of the Iconography of the Atrium Mosaics in San Marco, Venice
Visual representations of biblical themes reflect interpretive and theological controversies. This article explores the way in which the atrium mosaics in San Marco in Venice mirror the textual difficulties and contradictions in the creation stories of Genesis 1–2, with reference to the history of C...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
2023
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| In: |
Die Bibel in der Kunst
Year: 2023, Volume: 7, Pages: 1-22 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Genesis 1
/ Bible. Genesis 2
/ Venice
/ Adam, Biblical person
/ Dust
/ Christology
/ Bible. Genesis 3
/ Jesus Christus
/ Motif
/ Iconography
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Visual representations of biblical themes reflect interpretive and theological controversies. This article explores the way in which the atrium mosaics in San Marco in Venice mirror the textual difficulties and contradictions in the creation stories of Genesis 1–2, with reference to the history of Christian and Jewish biblical interpretations. I suggest that the mosaics depict the creation of the world in the first five days, as narrated in Genesis 1 and portray Adam’s formation, on the sixth day, “from the dust of the earth” according to Genesis 2, thus merging the two creation narratives and creating a harmonious linear sequence with the presentation of the Eden narra-tive in Genesis 3. Formed from untilled, virgin soil, Adam became the most significant element of the christological theme that pervades the atrium, underscoring Christ’s immaculate concept-tion. This reading excludes any need to assert that a specific model served the atrium mosaicists, their portrayal of the first man on the sixth day being the consequence of theological reflection. It also goes against the grain of twenty-first century research, which regards the atrium as exhi-biting clear Marian motifs. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Die Bibel in der Kunst
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