Essays on the Oldest Iconography of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Uspenskij Boris A.
The iconographic traditions of representing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ date back to the first third of the fifth century AD. One of them shows Christ with the thieves crucified with Him (Lk 23 : 39–43), the other – with a warrior who pierced His body with a spear (Jn 19 : 39). The oldest image of the Crucifixion with the thieves is carved on the doors of the Roman basilica of Santa Sabina (431–432). The oldest depiction of the Crucifixion with the warrior is on an ivory from the British Museum; it dates from the same time as the doors of Santa Sabina (ca. 420–430) and is also probably made in Rome. In each of these cases we see the beginning of an iconographic tradition that becomes widespread thereafter. At the same time, both images reveal something not quite common, different from the later tradition. In both cases this is evident in the composition of the right and left. On the doors of St. Sabina the Good Thief is shown to the left of Christ (on the right from the point of view of the spectator). Subsequent tradition, in accordance with the axiological principle, steadily places him at Christ’s right (on the left for the spectator). In the Crucifixion of the British Museum, the warrior is on the left side of Christ (spectator’s right). In later depictions of this scene, he is usually placed on Christ’s right and the spear is pointed at His right side. From the sixth century onwards, in both cases, the opposition of right and left began to be interpreted not from the point of view of the spectator, but from that of the figure depicted in the image, i.e. in the perspective of Christ. As a result, in both cases the image takes on a new, symbolic meaning open to a theological interpretation. If the initial image can be regarded as an illustration of the Gospel text, then later it becomes an independent work filled with the theological content, i.e. it becomes an icon. Thus, the general direction of the iconographic evolution in both cases boils down to the formula: from illustration to icon. In considering the warrior scene, special attention is paid to the traditional presence of a man with a sponge. His figure indicates that the ancient masters did not illustrate the Gospel of John directly, but a special version of the Gospel of Matthew with an interpolation from the Gospel of John.
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