Ulrike Ritzerfeld - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Books by Ulrike Ritzerfeld
Transkulturelle Phänomene haben in den letzten Jahren zunehmend die Aufmerksamkeit der Forschung ... more Transkulturelle Phänomene haben in den letzten Jahren zunehmend die Aufmerksamkeit der Forschung auf sich gezogen und werden aller Voraussicht nach auch in den nächsten Jahren Gegenstand geistes-wissenschaftlicher Debatten sein. Als Ergebnis eines kollaborativen Schreibaktes versteht sich der vorliegende Band sowohl als Einführung in die Untersuchung transkultureller Verfl echtungsphänomene wie auch als Versuch einer systematischen Durchdringung dieses Forschungs-feldes aus unterschiedlichen mediävistischen Perspektiven. Er befasst sich zunächst auf theoretischer Ebene mit der Entwicklung und den Entstehungshintergründen des transkulturellen Paradigmas. In zahlreichen Quellenstudien erörtert er ferner, wie transkulturelle Verfl echtungsprozesse in mittelalterlichen Quellen unterschiedlicher Herkunft und Art benannt, beschrieben und bewertet werden. Auf dieser Grundlage wird der Versuch unternommen, unter Nutzung der Begriffe ‚Netzwerk', ‚Gewebe', ‚rhizomatisches Gefl echt' und ‚Fusion' verschiedene Modelle transkultureller Verfl echtung zu defi nieren und anhand der Quellen auszuarbeiten. Ergänzend erfolgt eine ebenfalls quellen gestützte Beschäftigung mit den reziproken Beziehungen zwischen Verfl echtungs-und Entfl echtungsprozessen. Sie mündet in abschließende Überlegungen zu der Frage, welchen methodischen Chancen und Risiken sich eine historisch arbeitende Forschung aus-gesetzt sieht, die das transkulturelle Paradigma für die konkrete Arbeit an den Quellen nutzen möchte. Indem der Band die Genese aktueller methodischer Diskussionen nachzeichnet und diese anhand von mehr als fünfzig kurzen Quellen-analysen konkretisiert, eignet er sich in idealer Weise für den Einsatz in Studium und Lehre. Darüber hinaus bietet er durch die systematische Darstellung sowie die Refl exionen zu Theorie und praktischer An wen-dung des transkulturellen Ansatzes zahlreiche Anregungen für die weitere Forschungsdiskussion.
Lateinisch-griechisch-arabische Begegnungen: kulturelle Diversität im Mittelmeerraum des Spätmittelalters
Page 1. Europa im Mittelalter Band 15 Margit Mersch, Ulrike Ritzerfeld (Hg.) Lateinisch-griechisc... more Page 1. Europa im Mittelalter Band 15 Margit Mersch, Ulrike Ritzerfeld (Hg.) Lateinisch-griechisch-arabische Begegnungen Kulturelle Diversität im Mittelmeerraum des Spätmittelalters Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. Margit Mersch ...
Articles by Ulrike Ritzerfeld
Santa Caterina a Galatina: un monumento per la ‘latinizzazione’ della Puglia greco-bizantina o per le ambizioni autonomistiche dei Del Balzo Orsini?
Convivium, 2018
Santa Caterina in Galatina: Monument for the “Latinization” of Greco-Byzantine Apulia or the Po... more Santa Caterina in Galatina: Monument for
the “Latinization” of Greco-Byzantine Apulia or the
Political Ambitions of the Del Balzo Orsini Dynasty?
Founded by the nobleman Raimondo del Balzo Orsini
and favored by the papacy, the church of Santa Caterina
in Galatina, along with its hospital and convent, has been
interpreted as an instrument for the “latinization” of Greek-
Byzantine Apulia. Certain aspects of the institution’s
history, however, as well as its architecture and decoration,
point to a different objective of the founding dynasty. By
building and decorating the church in an unprecedented
style that combined local traditions with new elements –
while taking into account prominent dynastic foundations
of southern Italy and importing significant relics from
the Holy Land – the Del Balzo Orsini created a religious,
political, and charitable center of high prestige and unique
character that made visible the de facto sovereignty of the
dynasty rivaling the crown of Naples.
Johanna I. und die Incoronata in Neapel: Weiblicher Herrschaftsanspruch in der Kirche der Regina dolorosa
Mitteilungen des Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz, 2017
To this day the decoration of the Neapolitan church of the Incoronata has not been discussed as ... more To this day the decoration of the Neapolitan church of the
Incoronata has not been discussed as a whole given the common
dating of its fragments in different periods. Yet a critical
examination of the surviving elements in conjunction with local
historiography points to a different conclusion: Church, frescoes
and panel paintings originated in one campaign under Queen
Johanna I in the years around 1370. The decorative program
indicates that the church was planned as a dynastic sanctuary
following the local tradition of family foundations and as a
monumental shrine for a fragment of the crown of thorns,
following the model of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris built by
St. Louis IX, the sainted collateral ancestor of the Neapolitan
Anjou. Specific iconographical themes and biblical figures, very
original concepts and pictorial motifs were chosen to legitimize,
to sanctify and therefore to confirm the reign of Johanna I.
Of special importance was the legitimization of the female
succession to the throne after decades of political difficulties.
Thus, the church is to be understood as a monumental claim to
power of its royal founder and her family, maybe even designed
as the place for her tomb, its paintings functioning as a visual
medium for the political propaganda of the Anjou.
Die Ecclesia triumphans in der Incoronata in Neapel: Bildbekenntnis zur Papstkirche von Johanna I. von Anjou
Iconographica. Studies in the History of Images, 2017
The exceptional allegory of the Ecclesia triumphans by Roberto di Oderisio, a key scene of the ic... more The exceptional allegory of the Ecclesia triumphans by Roberto di Oderisio, a key scene of the iconographic
program of the Neapolitan church of the Incoronata, raises questions as to its origin and meaning. The article traces the
way back to several potentially inspiring models at the French, the Neapolitan and the papal court, revealing the purpose
of the allegory to glorify the church as the only way of salvation, to authorize the dignity and power of the pope with the
Corpus Christi and to demonstrate the close connection between the church and the Anjou dynasty. Thus it mirrors the
interests of queen Joanna I of Anjou, foundress of the Incoronata, who depended on the support of the church in a very
fragile political situation.
A probable Franciscan background of the allegory together with eschatological aspects and architectural references place
it in the specific context of the return of the papacy to Rome which was associated with a renovation of ecclesiastical
power and marked a personal triumph for Joanna I: the reward with the Golden Rose by Urban V in 1368, the politically
most important moment in the life of the queen. The allegory is to be understood as a monumental religious and
political commitment of Joanna I to the institution of the church and the pontifical authority, displaying her strategy in
the power-struggle of the realm.
In the Name of Jesus: The IHS-Panel from Andreas Ritzos and the Christian Kabbalah in Renaissance Crete, in: Journal of Transcultural Medieval Studies 2015, 2, p. 245-273.
To this day, the unique iconography of a fifteenth-century painting of culturally mixed character... more To this day, the unique iconography of a fifteenth-century painting of culturally mixed character made by the Cretan artist Andreas Ritzos has not been sufficiently explained. So far, the motif of the letters “IHS” encapsulating narrative scenes of the passion has been linked to the widely propagated devotion of St. Bernardine of Siena to the name of Jesus. However, several elements contradict a direct reference to Bernardine propaganda. The concept underlying the panel seems to be a more complex and highly erudite one. The fact that Christian Kabbalists discussed many of its topics suggests that the iconography of the panel was influenced by Kabbalistic ideas, probably due to the intense relations between Crete and Venice in particular and Italy in general as a centre of Christian Kabbalistic lore. In any event, the panel proves to be a result of the thriving climate of intellectual, religious and artistic syncretism in Renaissance Crete.
Predellentafel mit Darstellung einer Totenbestattung durch Tobit und Tobias von Ridolfo Ghirlandaio. In: Caritas. Nächstenliebe von den frühen Christen bis zur Gegenwart (Ausst. im Erzbischöflichen Diözesanmuseum Paderborn (23.07.-13.12.2015), Paderborn 2015, Nr. 47, S. 449-450.
Fresko aus S. Vincenzo in Bergamo mit Darstellung der Gabenverteilung der Dispensieri der Misericordia. In: Caritas. Nächstenliebe von den frühen Christen bis zur Gegenwart (Ausst. im Erzbischöflichen Diözesanmuseum Paderborn (23.07.-13.12.2015)), Paderborn 2015, Nr. 46, S. 447-449..
Im Schatten des Markuslöwen? West-östliche Verflechtungsprozesse in der sakralen Malerei des Regno di Candia, in: Transkulturelle Verflechtungsprozesse in der Vormoderne, hrgs. v. W. Drews, C. Scholl, Berlin 2016, S. 197-236.
Polemical statements from the period of Venetian rule (1211–1669) emphasize the existence of deep... more Polemical statements from the period of Venetian rule (1211–1669)
emphasize the existence of deep religious and ideological trenches between native
‘Greeks’/‘Romans’ and immigrant ‘Franks’/‘Latins’ on Crete. Generally, the island’s
art is assumed to be either part of Western or Byzantine culture and identity and thus
taken as proof of a cultural confrontation between conquerors and the conquered
population. Examining sacred art on Crete, however, this article suggests that at least from the 14th century onwards it is impossible to presume the existence of factions completely separated along ethnic or religious lines and of behaviour determined by ideology alone. On the contrary, the decoration of a number of churches points to an entanglement of cultures and religions which has not been considered sufficiently until today, especially in the case of mendicant churches. Hybrid compositions in Latin churches on the one hand and the occasional appearance of imported motifs from the West such as St. Francis, the Madonna della Misericordia and the lion of St. Marc in orthodox churches on the other hand show a highly complex reality defying the simplistic view of two hostile camps. Choices regarding style and content as expressed by the wealthy Venetian and Greek upper classes, Latin clerics and members of the mendicant orders were motivated by the desire to signal social status and privilege, to publicize ecclesiastical and monastic institutions and, in some cases, even to propagate
the union of the churches and thus shed light on mechanisms of interaction and
agents responsible for phenomena of entanglement.
According to the dominant opinion in historical research the decree of Church union agreed on in ... more According to the dominant opinion in historical research the decree of Church union agreed on in the Council of Florence in 1439 met with a strongly negative reaction from the Cretan population. The painted decoration of Orthodox Churches on the island is often taken as a statement against papal unionist policy. The frescoes of the monastery church of
Balsamonero, supposedly a palladium of Orthodoxy in the Cretan countryside, have been interpreted accordingly. But the fragmentary paintings in the narthex from the 15th century, which have been completely ignored so far by art history studies, contain various unionistic motifs such as the Church council and the embrace of the apostles Peter and Paul, thus defying the traditional perception of the monastery. Specific details in its decoration lead to the
assumption that the paintings of the narthex were financed by the important humanist and merchant Lauro Querini and that Balsamonero, as well as some other monasteries, fell under the influence of a pro-unionist circle of wealthy and highly sophisticated lay people, mendicant friars and clerics around the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople Cardinal Bessarion. It appears that on Crete in the aftermath of the Council of Florence painting was used as a medium of propaganda, trying to spread pro-unionist messages even among the rural population.
The Language of Power: Transgressing Borders in Luxury Metal Objects of the Lusignan, in: Cyprus in Medieval Times. A Place of Cultural Encounter, ed. by S. Rogge/M. Grünbart, Münster 2015, S. 277-308.
Hybridisierung von Zeichen und Formen durch mediterrane Eliten, in: Integration und Desintegration der Kulturen im europäischen Mittelalter (Europa im Mittelalter, Bd. 18), hg. v. M. Borgolte [u.a.], Berlin 2011, S. 467-560
![Research paper thumbnail of Mamlūkische Metallkunst für mediterrane Eliten – Grenzüberschreitungen in Luxus und Machtrhetorik, in: Integration und Desintegration der Kulturen im europäischen Mittelalter (Europa im Mittelalter, Bd. 18), hg. v. M. Borgolte [u.a.], Berlin 2011, S. 534-552.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/36416789/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](
Transkulturelle Phänomene haben in den letzten Jahren zunehmend die Aufmerksamkeit der Forschung ... more Transkulturelle Phänomene haben in den letzten Jahren zunehmend die Aufmerksamkeit der Forschung auf sich gezogen und werden aller Voraussicht nach auch in den nächsten Jahren Gegenstand geistes-wissenschaftlicher Debatten sein. Als Ergebnis eines kollaborativen Schreibaktes versteht sich der vorliegende Band sowohl als Einführung in die Untersuchung transkultureller Verfl echtungsphänomene wie auch als Versuch einer systematischen Durchdringung dieses Forschungs-feldes aus unterschiedlichen mediävistischen Perspektiven. Er befasst sich zunächst auf theoretischer Ebene mit der Entwicklung und den Entstehungshintergründen des transkulturellen Paradigmas. In zahlreichen Quellenstudien erörtert er ferner, wie transkulturelle Verfl echtungsprozesse in mittelalterlichen Quellen unterschiedlicher Herkunft und Art benannt, beschrieben und bewertet werden. Auf dieser Grundlage wird der Versuch unternommen, unter Nutzung der Begriffe ‚Netzwerk', ‚Gewebe', ‚rhizomatisches Gefl echt' und ‚Fusion' verschiedene Modelle transkultureller Verfl echtung zu defi nieren und anhand der Quellen auszuarbeiten. Ergänzend erfolgt eine ebenfalls quellen gestützte Beschäftigung mit den reziproken Beziehungen zwischen Verfl echtungs-und Entfl echtungsprozessen. Sie mündet in abschließende Überlegungen zu der Frage, welchen methodischen Chancen und Risiken sich eine historisch arbeitende Forschung aus-gesetzt sieht, die das transkulturelle Paradigma für die konkrete Arbeit an den Quellen nutzen möchte. Indem der Band die Genese aktueller methodischer Diskussionen nachzeichnet und diese anhand von mehr als fünfzig kurzen Quellen-analysen konkretisiert, eignet er sich in idealer Weise für den Einsatz in Studium und Lehre. Darüber hinaus bietet er durch die systematische Darstellung sowie die Refl exionen zu Theorie und praktischer An wen-dung des transkulturellen Ansatzes zahlreiche Anregungen für die weitere Forschungsdiskussion.
Lateinisch-griechisch-arabische Begegnungen: kulturelle Diversität im Mittelmeerraum des Spätmittelalters
Page 1. Europa im Mittelalter Band 15 Margit Mersch, Ulrike Ritzerfeld (Hg.) Lateinisch-griechisc... more Page 1. Europa im Mittelalter Band 15 Margit Mersch, Ulrike Ritzerfeld (Hg.) Lateinisch-griechisch-arabische Begegnungen Kulturelle Diversität im Mittelmeerraum des Spätmittelalters Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. Margit Mersch ...
Santa Caterina a Galatina: un monumento per la ‘latinizzazione’ della Puglia greco-bizantina o per le ambizioni autonomistiche dei Del Balzo Orsini?
Convivium, 2018
Santa Caterina in Galatina: Monument for the “Latinization” of Greco-Byzantine Apulia or the Po... more Santa Caterina in Galatina: Monument for
the “Latinization” of Greco-Byzantine Apulia or the
Political Ambitions of the Del Balzo Orsini Dynasty?
Founded by the nobleman Raimondo del Balzo Orsini
and favored by the papacy, the church of Santa Caterina
in Galatina, along with its hospital and convent, has been
interpreted as an instrument for the “latinization” of Greek-
Byzantine Apulia. Certain aspects of the institution’s
history, however, as well as its architecture and decoration,
point to a different objective of the founding dynasty. By
building and decorating the church in an unprecedented
style that combined local traditions with new elements –
while taking into account prominent dynastic foundations
of southern Italy and importing significant relics from
the Holy Land – the Del Balzo Orsini created a religious,
political, and charitable center of high prestige and unique
character that made visible the de facto sovereignty of the
dynasty rivaling the crown of Naples.
Johanna I. und die Incoronata in Neapel: Weiblicher Herrschaftsanspruch in der Kirche der Regina dolorosa
Mitteilungen des Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz, 2017
To this day the decoration of the Neapolitan church of the Incoronata has not been discussed as ... more To this day the decoration of the Neapolitan church of the
Incoronata has not been discussed as a whole given the common
dating of its fragments in different periods. Yet a critical
examination of the surviving elements in conjunction with local
historiography points to a different conclusion: Church, frescoes
and panel paintings originated in one campaign under Queen
Johanna I in the years around 1370. The decorative program
indicates that the church was planned as a dynastic sanctuary
following the local tradition of family foundations and as a
monumental shrine for a fragment of the crown of thorns,
following the model of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris built by
St. Louis IX, the sainted collateral ancestor of the Neapolitan
Anjou. Specific iconographical themes and biblical figures, very
original concepts and pictorial motifs were chosen to legitimize,
to sanctify and therefore to confirm the reign of Johanna I.
Of special importance was the legitimization of the female
succession to the throne after decades of political difficulties.
Thus, the church is to be understood as a monumental claim to
power of its royal founder and her family, maybe even designed
as the place for her tomb, its paintings functioning as a visual
medium for the political propaganda of the Anjou.
Die Ecclesia triumphans in der Incoronata in Neapel: Bildbekenntnis zur Papstkirche von Johanna I. von Anjou
Iconographica. Studies in the History of Images, 2017
The exceptional allegory of the Ecclesia triumphans by Roberto di Oderisio, a key scene of the ic... more The exceptional allegory of the Ecclesia triumphans by Roberto di Oderisio, a key scene of the iconographic
program of the Neapolitan church of the Incoronata, raises questions as to its origin and meaning. The article traces the
way back to several potentially inspiring models at the French, the Neapolitan and the papal court, revealing the purpose
of the allegory to glorify the church as the only way of salvation, to authorize the dignity and power of the pope with the
Corpus Christi and to demonstrate the close connection between the church and the Anjou dynasty. Thus it mirrors the
interests of queen Joanna I of Anjou, foundress of the Incoronata, who depended on the support of the church in a very
fragile political situation.
A probable Franciscan background of the allegory together with eschatological aspects and architectural references place
it in the specific context of the return of the papacy to Rome which was associated with a renovation of ecclesiastical
power and marked a personal triumph for Joanna I: the reward with the Golden Rose by Urban V in 1368, the politically
most important moment in the life of the queen. The allegory is to be understood as a monumental religious and
political commitment of Joanna I to the institution of the church and the pontifical authority, displaying her strategy in
the power-struggle of the realm.
In the Name of Jesus: The IHS-Panel from Andreas Ritzos and the Christian Kabbalah in Renaissance Crete, in: Journal of Transcultural Medieval Studies 2015, 2, p. 245-273.
To this day, the unique iconography of a fifteenth-century painting of culturally mixed character... more To this day, the unique iconography of a fifteenth-century painting of culturally mixed character made by the Cretan artist Andreas Ritzos has not been sufficiently explained. So far, the motif of the letters “IHS” encapsulating narrative scenes of the passion has been linked to the widely propagated devotion of St. Bernardine of Siena to the name of Jesus. However, several elements contradict a direct reference to Bernardine propaganda. The concept underlying the panel seems to be a more complex and highly erudite one. The fact that Christian Kabbalists discussed many of its topics suggests that the iconography of the panel was influenced by Kabbalistic ideas, probably due to the intense relations between Crete and Venice in particular and Italy in general as a centre of Christian Kabbalistic lore. In any event, the panel proves to be a result of the thriving climate of intellectual, religious and artistic syncretism in Renaissance Crete.
Predellentafel mit Darstellung einer Totenbestattung durch Tobit und Tobias von Ridolfo Ghirlandaio. In: Caritas. Nächstenliebe von den frühen Christen bis zur Gegenwart (Ausst. im Erzbischöflichen Diözesanmuseum Paderborn (23.07.-13.12.2015), Paderborn 2015, Nr. 47, S. 449-450.
Fresko aus S. Vincenzo in Bergamo mit Darstellung der Gabenverteilung der Dispensieri der Misericordia. In: Caritas. Nächstenliebe von den frühen Christen bis zur Gegenwart (Ausst. im Erzbischöflichen Diözesanmuseum Paderborn (23.07.-13.12.2015)), Paderborn 2015, Nr. 46, S. 447-449..
Im Schatten des Markuslöwen? West-östliche Verflechtungsprozesse in der sakralen Malerei des Regno di Candia, in: Transkulturelle Verflechtungsprozesse in der Vormoderne, hrgs. v. W. Drews, C. Scholl, Berlin 2016, S. 197-236.
Polemical statements from the period of Venetian rule (1211–1669) emphasize the existence of deep... more Polemical statements from the period of Venetian rule (1211–1669)
emphasize the existence of deep religious and ideological trenches between native
‘Greeks’/‘Romans’ and immigrant ‘Franks’/‘Latins’ on Crete. Generally, the island’s
art is assumed to be either part of Western or Byzantine culture and identity and thus
taken as proof of a cultural confrontation between conquerors and the conquered
population. Examining sacred art on Crete, however, this article suggests that at least from the 14th century onwards it is impossible to presume the existence of factions completely separated along ethnic or religious lines and of behaviour determined by ideology alone. On the contrary, the decoration of a number of churches points to an entanglement of cultures and religions which has not been considered sufficiently until today, especially in the case of mendicant churches. Hybrid compositions in Latin churches on the one hand and the occasional appearance of imported motifs from the West such as St. Francis, the Madonna della Misericordia and the lion of St. Marc in orthodox churches on the other hand show a highly complex reality defying the simplistic view of two hostile camps. Choices regarding style and content as expressed by the wealthy Venetian and Greek upper classes, Latin clerics and members of the mendicant orders were motivated by the desire to signal social status and privilege, to publicize ecclesiastical and monastic institutions and, in some cases, even to propagate
the union of the churches and thus shed light on mechanisms of interaction and
agents responsible for phenomena of entanglement.
According to the dominant opinion in historical research the decree of Church union agreed on in ... more According to the dominant opinion in historical research the decree of Church union agreed on in the Council of Florence in 1439 met with a strongly negative reaction from the Cretan population. The painted decoration of Orthodox Churches on the island is often taken as a statement against papal unionist policy. The frescoes of the monastery church of
Balsamonero, supposedly a palladium of Orthodoxy in the Cretan countryside, have been interpreted accordingly. But the fragmentary paintings in the narthex from the 15th century, which have been completely ignored so far by art history studies, contain various unionistic motifs such as the Church council and the embrace of the apostles Peter and Paul, thus defying the traditional perception of the monastery. Specific details in its decoration lead to the
assumption that the paintings of the narthex were financed by the important humanist and merchant Lauro Querini and that Balsamonero, as well as some other monasteries, fell under the influence of a pro-unionist circle of wealthy and highly sophisticated lay people, mendicant friars and clerics around the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople Cardinal Bessarion. It appears that on Crete in the aftermath of the Council of Florence painting was used as a medium of propaganda, trying to spread pro-unionist messages even among the rural population.
The Language of Power: Transgressing Borders in Luxury Metal Objects of the Lusignan, in: Cyprus in Medieval Times. A Place of Cultural Encounter, ed. by S. Rogge/M. Grünbart, Münster 2015, S. 277-308.
Hybridisierung von Zeichen und Formen durch mediterrane Eliten, in: Integration und Desintegration der Kulturen im europäischen Mittelalter (Europa im Mittelalter, Bd. 18), hg. v. M. Borgolte [u.a.], Berlin 2011, S. 467-560
oldenbourg-link.com
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliograf... more Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar
![Research paper thumbnail of Zum Problem von Wahrnehmung im interkulturellen Kontakt. Texte, Bauten und Bilder aus dem Umfeld der Mendikanten, in: Mittelalter im Labor. Die Mediävistik testet Wege zu einer transkulturellen Europawissenschaft (Europa im Mittelalter, Bd. 10), hg. v. M. Borgolte [u.a.], Berlin 2008, S. 29-84.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/36401144/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliograf... more Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar
Wie kann man bildlos gebilden unde wiselos bewisen, daz úber alle sinne und úber menschliche vern... more Wie kann man bildlos gebilden unde wiselos bewisen, daz úber alle sinne und úber menschliche vernunft ist?« 1 Mit dieser viel zitierten Frage formuliert der Dominikaner Heinrich Seuse ( †1366) die Paradoxie der sich jeglichen Beschreibungsversuchen entziehenden und zugleich von einer bildhaften Sprache und Anschauung abhängigen Erfahrung des christlichen Mysteriums. Die Unfassbarkeit der sich dem menschlichen Verständnis widersetzenden grundlegenden Glaubensinhalte musste im Bereich religiösen Erkenntnisverlangens der von der christlichen »Ästhetik des Unsichtbaren« geprägten mittelalterlichen Gesellschaft Europas zu einer Sichtbarmachung herausfordern. 2 Im Rahmen der Bedingtheit des christlichen Geheimnisses durch menschliches Nicht-Verstehen einerseits und dem Versuch gedanklichen Durchdringens andererseits kommt dem zwischen sinnlicher Wahrnehmung und mentalen Vorstellungsbildern stehenden Bildwerk eine besondere Bedeutung zu, bietet es doch die Möglichkeit, das Abwesend-Unsichtbare im Status des Sichtbaren wirksam zu machen, ohne das Heilige gänzlich darin aufgehen zu lassen und zu profanieren. Entsprechend haben viele Bilder in der Nachfolge des traditionell Gregor dem Großen (um 540-604) zugeschriebenen Diktums auf unterschiedliche Weise versucht, »durch Sichtbares Unsichtbares« vor Augen zu führen. 3
![Research paper thumbnail of Fecit depingi con[fra]trum turba fidel[s]: Die Misericordia in Bergamo und ihre Bildprogramme im gesellschaftlichen und politischen Wandel des Spätmittelalters](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/36671672/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](in: Formen der Armenfürsorge in hoch- und spätmittelalterlichen Zentren nördlich und südlich der Alpen. Interdiszipliäre Tagung in Trier, 28.-30.11.2007, hg. v. L. Clemens [u.a.], Trier 2011, S. 89-120
Rezension von: Nickiphoros I. Tsougarakis, The Latin Religious Orders in Medieval Greece, 1204–1500, Turnhout (Brepols) 2012, XXIII–391 p., 5 ill. (Medieval Church Studies, 18)