Cycle of the Passion of Christ in St Mark’s Basilica

As the religious centre of the Republic of Venice, Saint Mark’s Basilica manifests through the force of its decorations the doges’ quest for power and symbolizes the transposition to the West of the artistic treasures of Constantinople. In the complex iconographic repertoire, which includes many restorations, the chosen themes praise the Glory of Christ and the universal Church, and valorize the local Church and policy. While the repertoire’s arrangement does not seem to follow a specific Byzantine model, the iconography is directly inspired by Eastern canons, especially in the Christological, or Dodekaorton[1] cycle. However, some scenes present iconographic details that are absent in Byzantine traditions; these Latin insertions created the specificity of Venetian art, an art that stands between East and West. Some examples from the cycle of the Passion[2] illustrate this well. The Last Supper (la Cena) follows the Byzantine tradition, especially in its faithfulness to the Gospel according to Mathew[3], but the rectangular table—and not in the form of a half-circle or sigma—was inspired by Western tradition. According to O. Demus, this shape is explained by the vast rectangular space allocated to the scene’s conception, but the choice appears to be deliberate, because it is reinforced by the presence of a lamb in a cup. While the fish, a symbol of Christ, was favoured in Byzantium, in the West it was replaced by the Paschal lamb, which recalls the Saviour’s sacrifice, his redemptive work, and John the Baptist’s words[4]. The scene of Christ’s Arrest is also Byzantine in inspiration: Jesus lies in the centre of the composition, and at his side Judas (in profile) is embracing him, and the soldiers, grouped in a profusion of lances, torches, and weapons, were mentioned in the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, and John. In the left-hand corner, Peter, with a stroke of his sword, cuts off Malchus’ ear. The gesture of Christ blessing these two figures has no antecedent in Byzantium; this iconographic detail is probably originated in southern Italy at the end of the eleventh and early twelfth century. This can be seen in the Fondi Exultet, the Breviary of Oderisius created at Monte Cassino, Monreale Cathedral, and the frescos of San Pellegrino di Bominaco in Abruzzo[5]. In the scene of the holy women at the tomb[6], the Byzantine tradition favours the Gospel of Mathew, who, for this episode, mentions the presence of two women. The Venetian artists were inspired in this case by Mark’s Gospel, which is often used in the repertoire of the Basilica dedicated to him, and which mentions the presence of three women[7]. Lastly, the image of the prayer on the Mount of Olives extends in a unified way and the iconography is unique in the ensemble’s magisterial composition, which shows the various dramatic phases of Christ life before the Passion. It diverges from the Byzantine canons because of its narrative nature, where Jesus is represented five times evoking the passages of Mark’s Gospel[8], and, in particular, the dialogue with Peter and the prediction of his denial. This mosaic, on which at least three masters are believed to have worked, is considered to be a thirteenth-century masterpiece of Italian art[9].

[2] The scenes of the Passion of Christ were created in the twelfth century. Here, we have concentrated on several precise examples, but this demonstration applies to most of the Christological scenes.

[3] ‘The one who hands me over is someone I eat with daily’, (Mt 26:23).

[4] ‘Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world’, (John 1:29).

[5] See, in particular, the work of Hélène Toubert on the Breviary of Oderisius in Un art dirigé, Réforme grégorienne et Iconographie, Paris, 1990, p. 328; Place sacré, Place d'images, les fresques de Bominaco (Abruzzo, 1263). Thèmes, parcours, fonctions, J. Baschet, Paris-Rome, 1991 (5 accompanying images).

[6] This mosaic was entirely restored at the end of the fifteenth century, but the iconography is faithful to the original.

[7]‘When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalena, Mary mother of James, and Salome bought spices that they might come and anoint Him’, (Mark 16:1).

[8] Mark 14:33–42.

[9] O. Demus, ‘Bisanzio e la pittura a mosaico del Duecento a Venezia’, in Venezia e l'Oriente fra tardo Medioevo e Rinascimento, A. Pertusi (ed.), Venice, 1966, pp. 125–155.

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