The Reflection of Mourning on the Body of Christ (Giotto) and on the Corpse of Alexander (Great Ilkhanid Shahnameh)

Ghanizadeh, Leila; Keshmiri, Maryam

doi:10.22051/jjh.2022.38129.1718

The Reflection of Mourning on the Body of Christ (Giotto) and on the Corpse of Alexander (Great Ilkhanid Shahnameh)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Leila Ghanizadeh ¹
Maryam Keshmiri ²

¹ Department, of Art,, Ferdows Institute of higher education,, Mashhad, Iran.

² Assistant Professor ,Department of Painting. Faculty of Art, , Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran, Corresponding Author.

10.22051/jjh.2022.38129.1718

Abstract

Similarities and innovations in works of art are always among the things that cause them to be compared with each other and to study the extent of their impact. The late Gothic Florentine artist Giotto was able to transcend past traditions by imitating nature. He created a new chapter in Western painting based on visual observation and experience. He prefigured a new order in western extroverted painting. Hence, because of his innovations and creativity, he is considered one of the leaders of the Renaissance and the father of western illustration. On the other hand, Giotto's artistic initiatives became one of the factors in the emergence of the Renaissance in Italian art and caused painting to enter a new era. The "Mourning for the Body of Christ" mural 2 is one of 37 Giotto murals in the Arena Prayer Hall in Padua. In this work, Giotto’s innovations and novelties in painting have clearly been demonstrated. At the same time that Giottos’s artistic initiatives took place in Italy, several illustrated copies appeared in Iranian painting that were different from what had emerged before, including; The great Shahnameh of Abu Sa'idi, known as the Shahnameh of Demut, which unfortunately is kept in the separate collections in the world museumes. In the paintings of this version, we see the emergence of elements that have not already been common in Iranian painting. One of these paintings is "Lamentation on the Coffin of Alexander", which is especially similar to the "Mourning the Body of Christ" mural of Giotto. Both works are representations of a mourning scene that have emerged in two different cultures, although at a point in time close to each other with similar and evocative visual elements. Due to the similar innovations manifested in the two works, the authors tried to compare them in order to find out the differences between them and to examine the extent of their influence on each other. Considering that Giotto’s mural was painted almost two decades before the Shahnameh mural, it is confirmed by documents that Giotto was a pioneer in innovations. Therefore, the possibility of Shahnameh being influenced by Jo Giotto to is raised. Undoubtedly, in order to reach the appropriate result, study and analysis of the relations between the two countries has a special importance. Examining the interactions between the two regions, it was found that in the mentioned period, due to religious, commercial and political issues, the connections have increased. Hence, we are witnessing the expansion of trade, religious and political relations in the two regions, which results in the presence of merchants and traders due to the high quality Iranian silk trade, Christian missionaries due to the importance of Christianity, propagation of this religion and also Christianity of some courtiers and princesses of the Ilkhani court. In addition, the travel of Italian ambassadors to Iran and the visit of a group of Iranian ambassadors to Italian cities were other connections between the two regions. As a result of the contacts, the Italians settled in Iran, especially in Tabriz, set up a consulate in Iran and built several churches in the cities of Maragheh and Tabriz. Therefore, we are witnessing an increase in travel between the two countries, especially in the cities of Genoa and Venice from Italy, and Tabriz, the capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, the place where the great Ilkhanid Shahnameh was created. The purpose of this research is to study and analyze the illustration method and innovative arrangements of artists in the two selected works compared to the past, to analyze the visual and structural elements and thus compare and adapt them to achieve their commonalities and differences and to study their interaction with each other. In this way, by examining the details, the discussion of generalities has been taken to detail and the underlying layers of the work have been explored in more detail to express the differences and commonalities more clearly and in detail and to reveal the overlaps. Also, the authors try to get a clear picture of the relations between businessmen, ambassadors, missionaries and artists of the two countries by searching historical documents. The present study seeks to answer the following questions according to the mentioned goals: 1) What are the innovations of the two works and the differences and commonalities of the selected works? 2) Considering some visual similarities visible in the two works, which are some of Giotto’s innovations in the field of painting, along with the relations formed between the two countries, is it possible that Shahnameh's painting was influenced by Giotto’s mural? The research method in the present research is based on a descriptive-analytical method. While describing the two works, since Giotto’s work was depicted earlier, its temporal analysis is performed in order to examine the effect of the mentioned work on the Iranian painting. The similarities and differences between the two works are also analyzed using a comparative approach. In the section on the relations between Iran and Italy in the fourteenth century, the historiographical method has been used, which has studied the historical sources and travelogues in the mentioned period, so that the similarities of the two works can be understood. The method of data collection in the present study is citation of library resources and the study is conducted qualitatively. The results of the research demonstrate that in addition to the identical theme of mourning in the two paintings, we see similarities such as being influenced by Byzantine art, the emergence of realism, the representation of movement, the role of a statue from behind, the representation of emotions in the face, and the use of hand movements to express emotions. The differences also include the space of formation of the two works, the type of composition, the use of color, the position of the main body, the level of passion of the mourners, the symbolic elements of the role and the purpose of the artists in depicting the two works. Historical studies between the two regions also show the comprehensive expansion of relations and interactions in the political, religious and commercial dimensions, which are the most important factors in the transmission of culture and art. Nevertheless, ultimately despite innovative similarities and the development of relations and interactions, a definite document regarding the influence of the two works was not obtained. In summary, we cannot claim with certainty that the mourning of Alexander's corpse from the great Ilkhani’s Shahnameh has been influenced by the mourning mural on the body of Christ by Giotto. Nonetheless, the present study has opened the way for future research.

Keywords

20.1001.1.16079868.1401.14.2.7.0

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URL(s)

URL1: asia.si.edu/?s=f1938.3&search_context=objects&post_type=tms_object [May15,2020]

URL2: images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/is/original/DP193.jpg [July10,2020]

URL3: tarikhema.org/ancient//17527[July12,2020]