Ascension from the Rabbula Gospels.
 
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Title:Ascension from the Rabbula Gospels
Notes:The artist of the Rabbula Gospels illustrated more scenes from the book of Acts than from the Gospels, including this Ascension scene that includes symbols associated with Ezekiel (wheels, tetramorph) and a small, brown hand of God. In this Gospel/Acts book is also the first known instance of the presence of Mary, the mother of Jesus, with the disciples at Pentecost. "The Rabbula Gospels, or Rabula Gospels, (Florence, Biblioteca Mediceo Laurenziana, cod. Plut. I, 56) is a 6th century illuminated Syriac Gospel Book. One of the finest Byzantine works produced in Asia, and one of the earliest Christian manuscripts with large miniatures, it is distinguished by the miniaturist's predilection for bright colours, movement, drama, and expressionism.The [Rabbula] Gospel was completed in 586 at Monastery of St. John of Zagba which, although traditionally thought to have been in Northern Mesopotamia, is now thought to have been in the hinterland between Antioch and Apamea. It was signed by its scribe, Rabbula, about whom nothing else is known. The text is the Peshitta version of the Syriac translation of the Gospels...The scene of the Crucifixion is the earliest to survive in an illuminated manuscript, and shows the Eastern form of the image at the time. There is a miniature of the Apostles choosing a new twelfth member (after the loss of Judas); this is not an event found in the Canonical Gospels (though it is mentioned in Chapter 1 of Acts) and is almost never seen in later art. The artist was trained in the classical illusionist tradition, and is a competent and practiced hand rather than an outstanding talent; but surviving images from this period are so rare that his are extremely valuable for showing the style and iconography of his age." (Wikipedia) Donation by photographer Anne Richardson.
Date:586
Building:Biblioteca Mediciae Laurenziana
Original Location:Syria
Object/Function:Books and manuscripts
Material:Other
City/Town:Florence
Country:Italy

Scripture:Luke 24:44-53
Acts 1:1-11
Lectionary links:AAscn
General Subject:Ascension of Christ
Hand of God

Permalink: https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=53846
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Copyright Source:Image donated by Jim Womack and Anne Richardson
Copyright Permission:Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0
Attribution:Ascension from the Rabbula Gospels, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=53846 [retrieved March 28, 2024]. Original source: Image donated by Jim Womack and Anne Richardson.
Record Number:53846 Last Updated: 2022-06-19 15:54:39 Record Created: 2008-02-03 12:46:07
Institution:Vanderbilt University Collection: Art in the Christian Tradition

Bibliographic Source:Wikipedia. Community authorship. http://en.wikipedia.org