"The heavenly city of the New Jerusalem was the great promise of early Christianity. An idealised polis, it [was] depicted in medieval paintings as a walled town floating on a bank of cloud. For those who adhered to the teachings of Christ, the Heavenly City was the final reward: an eternal resting place of peace and harmony, above and beyond the troubled material world… No matter the chaos and injustice on earth, after death those who followed Jesus could look forward to an eternal haven of joy."
-The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace
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| Detail of Grunwald's 'Temptaion of St Anthony' and ' The Kingdom of New Jerusalem' |
The symbolism of Christian art was representative of its theology concerning the dichotomy of Heaven and Earth: The natural world was seen a.) as below man in virtue, and b.) as chaotic, dangerous and treacherous. In comparison, the civilised (civitas - 'city dwelling') world of man was seen to emulate the virtual celestial world of the Gods. In comparison to demons of the earth - always represented as animal in form - Angels always took human form. Similarly, the Kingdom of New Jerusalem took the form of a floating castle; existing as distinct from the earth, though in the recognisable typology of a protected, walled city.
The above depictions of the temptation of St Anthony clearly illustrate the medieval Christian attitude towards the natural world, with the demons tempting and attacking St Anthony exclusively taking the form of animals. Despite its preoccupation with the disturbing elements of the story, Grunewald's depiction (left), still manages to make allusions to the favourable element of the binary condition- with the gilded Celestial kingdom clearly visible in the background.
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| Two depictions of 'The temptation of St Anthony'. |
The above depictions of the temptation of St Anthony clearly illustrate the medieval Christian attitude towards the natural world, with the demons tempting and attacking St Anthony exclusively taking the form of animals. Despite its preoccupation with the disturbing elements of the story, Grunewald's depiction (left), still manages to make allusions to the favourable element of the binary condition- with the gilded Celestial kingdom clearly visible in the background.