Majestas Domini

The Majestas Domini ( Latin for 'glory of the Lord') is a pictorial scheme particularly popular in the Middle Ages , in which Jesus Christ is depicted on his throne , often in a mandorla and surrounded by the four symbols of the evangelists . The four winged beings are borrowed from Ezekiel 1,4–20 EU and Revelation 4,6–8 EU and have been used as symbols of the evangelists since the 2nd century . Often Christ holds the Book of Life in his left hand and his right hand is raised in a speech or blessing gesture .

The biblical basis for this representation is primarily Isaiah 66.1 EU “Heaven is my chair and the earth my footstool” and Ezekiel 1.26–28 EU “On what was like a throne sat a figure who was like a person looked. Above what looked like his hips I saw something like fire and a bright glow all around. Like the sight of the rainbow that appears in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the bright glow all around. Such was the glory of the Lord. "

Not as an illustration of a specific Bible verse, but inspired by various biblical visions , theological interpretations and liturgical texts, this type of image was created from the 5th century onwards. In the Carolingian period (639–987) the valid permanent form of representation emerged. After 1300, however, the image type lost its importance.

The Majestas Domini depictions often adorn the beginning of evangelists on the entire page and fill apse calottes. The cathedral sculpture shows them in the tympana of the portals.

The motif also occurs in connection with other topics. Especially when adding motifs from the Apocalypse (24 elders, 12 apostles), the emphasis shifts to the Last Judgment , for example in the ensemble of the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Florence as a dome mosaic in the baptistery , created by Giotto in the 13th and 14th centuries. Century.

Photo gallery

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  Majestas Domini from the Hitda Codex ( University and State Library Darmstadt , Hs. 1640, fol.7r)

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  Majestas Domini on the portal of the Saint-Trophime cathedral in Arles (12th century)

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  Majestas Domini Abbey of Saint-André (Lavaudieu) , detail from fresco in the refectory

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  Majestas Domini of Jaleyrac

See also

• Pantocrator

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Example of exceptions (only four angelic beings in the otherwise usual symbol positions): Christ enthroned, Exultet-Rolle , Ms. 3, Troia (12th century), ill .: Hermann Fillitz (ed.): Das Mittelalter I. Propylaea art history vol . 5, Berlin 1969
2. ↑ Dome mosaic baptistery ( memento of the original from January 11, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in front of the Santa Maria Cathedral in Florence. 

Web links

Commons : Majestas Domini  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Nicole Chibici-Revneanu:  Glory (NT). In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (Eds.): The Scientific Bibellexicon on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff., Accessed on January 27, 2013.