Verona - Saint Anastasia and Simple Folk; The Theology of Art.

 The Theology of Art

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Here, we look at St. Anastasia, church in Verona, Italy; and what its art says about its theology.  See in the beleaguered supporters of its columns the place of the poor in Christian theology by the time of the Renaissance; and in frescoes, the persistence of the belief in Mary the Mother as essential not only to the birth of Christ, but also to his very survival: his dependence on her, as depicted in art where she nurses the baby openly, extending the breast.  That did not last.

Saint Anastasia Herself.

Which?  There were several Sant' Anastasia's in the third century -  one of Rome, one of Simium (where?) and one, known as The Patrician, see ://www.aug.edu/augusta/iconography/anastasia.html/  If this in Verona is the Roman one, as is likely given the geographic proximity, she was burned at the stake for refusing to marry. See the story, The Golden Legend, at the Iconography site.  Look it up at Medieval Sourcebook, Fordham University, at ://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/goldenlegend/. As to Simium, there is a reference in the history of the Apostles' Creed at ://www.archive.org/stream/apostlescreedexa00whee/apostlescreedexa00whee_djvu.txt/ but no map.

To us, as outsiders, the Roman Anastasia's death apparently had nothing to do with her Christian faith, as far as we can tell. She just said no to marrying the jerk, and wanted her wealth to go to the poor, not to the fellow who wanted her hand and the rest. What other theology is expressed by her sainthood? Where does Christ say not to marry.  Religious coral. What do we say.  Look out, girls, the Romans are coming? The fork in the road.

St. Anastasia, Santa Anastasia, 1480, Verona, Italy

2.  The place of the poor in Renaissance Christian theology. Is this so?


Look closer at the theology of architecture and sculpture. Does this fellow bearing burdens really want to be here.
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Unwilling beast of burden? St. Anastasia, Verona, Italy

This is one Hunchback, attributed to Gabriele Caliari, the father of Renaissance artist, Paolo Veronese. See Veronese at ://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/veronese_paolo.html

Second Hunchback, St. Anastasia, Verona, Italy

The second Hunchback bearing burdens:  he is also at the base of a column at the entrance, looks equally put upon.

We did not notice this was a hunchback - or the other one, either.

Are they? Or is that some description that just gets passed on?  We saw only the economically deprived.  Have to go back.  To us, they looked simply as the poor. Being dumped upon, again.
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Who bears the burden of our institutions. Who profits. What message?

Here is the altar and apse areas. No hunchbacks.

Interior, altar, Sant' Anastasia, Verona, Italy

3.  The Theology of Interdependence:  Mary as Essential not only to the Birth, but to the Survival

Here is Mary, nursing the baby, openly, extending the bare breast to the child as others look on.

Fresco, Sant' Anastasia, Verona, Italy. The Theology of Public Nursing: Mary nursing openly, in front of others, necessary to survival of the child; why is that female essential in Christian religion later suppressed by male dogma? Need we ask.

How many altar paintings, whatever, show this after the Renaissance? Scarce, if any. Then, look at the expressions on the faces of the men.  Do they look jealous?  Can they tolerate the idea that the Mother has this necessary connection, in order for the child to survive. And that their theories may well be disposable, but not this relationship.See discussion in connection with anther fresco of Mary nursing, at Lazise, at Vetting Roots, Centrality of Mary. Fresco Course Correction?.

Fresco, Verona, Italy. Saint Anastasia. Discomfited clerical onlookers, as Mary openly nurses. Are they, perhaps, already conjuring contrary dogma, how males could be made central to Christianity instead; Renaissance.

This theme, of Mary openly nursing the child, also appears in the ancient church of St. Anthony at Lake Garda, Italy, post pending. Then, surprisesurprise, no more Mary openly nursing.

Theological correctness:  Nursing in public is clearly theologically correct, as well as nutritionally advised.  Lactators, carry on.  Treatment of the poor.  Making the poor bear the burdens of the rich church architecture is not theologically correct. Serve the people.  Is that so?