History in Images

Society of Orders

The image shows the three orders in society. A monk, a knight, and a peasant are present. The monk has the unique haircut and is wearing robes. The knight is wearing his armor, and the peasant is in rugged clothing holding a shovel. The monk and knight are seen socializing and the peasant is off to the side observing. In European Medieval society this was true, the Church and the rich controlled society. Peasants had no say in government they were just workers who provided the society with food.

Hans Memling, “Last judgment”

Christ signals the saved with his raised right hand, and rejects the damned with his left. Christ is surrounded by angles and the Virgin Mary. She is probably there as a reminder that Christ should be forgiving to the human sinners.

Gerechtigkeitsbild

In the 15th century this type of image would hang in German court rooms. It was mean to remind the judge of his responsibility to God. It is an image of justice which presents the judge in the same position that Christ was in in The Last Judgment. Below is a similar image that could also be found in court rooms.

Jewish Hat

Was a Jewish stigma symbol. The hat is present in many artworks all over Europe. Below is a Jew in a pointed hat, holding a coin purse with the clothing mostly gold and red. The color gold was associated with Jews as well. 

Christ in the winepress

1440. This image was meant to teach the illiterate public the doctrine of transubstantiation. The image  represents Christ in a wine press with his blood flowing into the chalice below. This image was meant to show that the wafer and wine where in fact the body and blood of Christ.

Host desecration, Passau, 1478

Host desecration by the Jews in Sternberg, Germany in 1492. Jews in the image are shown stabbing the host. Catholics believed that the host would bleed if it was damaged by anyone. Many Jews were imprisoned and eventually killed. (Often by being burned at the stake). Many images were produced depicting Jews desecrating the host. They were meant to teach the public that the Eucharist was indeed the body and blood of Christ because it bled when it was desecrated. The printing press allowed the vast spread of images of host desecration by the Jews.

Martyrdom of Simon of Trent (Hartmann Schedel)

Woodcut from 1493. This was the most famous image of the “martyrdom of Simon.”  It included a written description of the case. The image showed the Jews restraining Simon and mutilating his body. This was supposed to be the reenactment of the crucifixion of Christ.