The iconography of the “Labours of the Months”, as figures engaged in active occupations, mostly rural activities, has a long history. Its origins are to be found in the late Antiquity but it was not until the twelfth century that it became a very common theme, above all in sculpture. What is of interest is that the medieval sculptural cycles, just like the ancient series marked by a variety of iconography which makes it impossible to isolate only a single characteristic subject for each month of the year, show a more limited and simplified repertory of scenes compared to the past; which means they were undoubtedly more ‘targeted’, and therefore conceived to communicate specific messages. In fact, in the merely descriptive appearance of seasonal activities that mark the passage of time, these images were capable to evoke, in the Christian era, a gamut of multiple associations to such an extent that we can talk of thematic polysemy. Connecting the most relevant evidence of the iconography of the Labors of the Months to its context, and underlining the mutation it had from time to time, this article aims to understand the reasons of its popularity and its continuously changing meaning over the centuries.
La terra e il tempo. Migrazione e mutazione dell'iconografia dell'Attività dei Mesi dall'epoca tardoantica al pieno medioevo.
Fachechi, Grazia Maria;
2020
Abstract
The iconography of the “Labours of the Months”, as figures engaged in active occupations, mostly rural activities, has a long history. Its origins are to be found in the late Antiquity but it was not until the twelfth century that it became a very common theme, above all in sculpture. What is of interest is that the medieval sculptural cycles, just like the ancient series marked by a variety of iconography which makes it impossible to isolate only a single characteristic subject for each month of the year, show a more limited and simplified repertory of scenes compared to the past; which means they were undoubtedly more ‘targeted’, and therefore conceived to communicate specific messages. In fact, in the merely descriptive appearance of seasonal activities that mark the passage of time, these images were capable to evoke, in the Christian era, a gamut of multiple associations to such an extent that we can talk of thematic polysemy. Connecting the most relevant evidence of the iconography of the Labors of the Months to its context, and underlining the mutation it had from time to time, this article aims to understand the reasons of its popularity and its continuously changing meaning over the centuries.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
