시에나의 카타리나 이미지: 성인전과 실제 사이 (Images of Catherine of Siena: between her Hagiography and Reality)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 미술사연구회
· 수록지 정보 : 미술사연구 / 27호 / 352 ~ 384페이지
· 저자명 : 이은기

초록

Stories about lives of female saints near the end of Middle ages are endowed with similar characteristics. They are immaculate virgins, obedient and pious. They persevere fasting and penance. They experience mysterious spiritual events. Catherine of Siena(1347∼1380) one of those female saints, but she also possessed extraordinary qualities, such as writings and political power. About eighty years after her death, she was canonized in 1461. She is revered as the saint of Italy, also the patron saint of Europe. She also received papal recognition as Doctor of the Church. Meanwhile, according to modern scholars, Catherine of Siena was a very different person from the Catherine as described in hagiography and in the paintings. The images of Catherine produced between fourteenth century and sixteenth century present her as pale and flabby as a result of her continuous fasting(fig. 4). Panel paintings produced during 1460s highlights mysterious aspect of her life by depicting her experiences of visions(fig. 7~12). Murals at the Chapel of Saint Catherine of Siena, which was built during sixteenth century to commemorate her, strongly emphasize her fasting and vision. Meanwhile, her experiences of writing(fig. 14) and political participation(fig.13) are diminished in importance. The paintings that convey scenes of her life which follow the contents of hagiography that almost resemble legends. It is told that Catherine began fasting since the age of fifteen. She reduced sleep, fastened her waist with iron belt, and flagellated herself using a whip with metal ends. The self-denial and self-sacrifice through fasting was a method of cultivating perseverance. However, it was also a condition which enabled a woman to preach to the public, cultivate her knowledge and political power in the era when many things were prohibited to women. In this context, Dominican order may have highlighted her fasting and mysterious experiences to silence the cacophony aroused by her participation in politics. Among Catherine’s mysterious experiences, the most representative ones are ‘miracle of stigmata’ and ‘marriage to Jesus.’ However, the ‘miracle of stigmata’ was also experienced by St. Francesco of Assisi two centuries ago(fig. 19) and ‘marriage to Jesus’ was a legend of Catherine of Alexandria who was the patron saint of Siena(fig. 20). These mysterious anecdotes may have been applied to Catherine’s life. Catherine is said to have experienced other visions too. The idealization of her visions may have been done by Raymond of Capua who played important role in her sanctification. Catherine left more than 400 letters to the numerous powerful figures, not only Popes and Cardinals, but also Kings and Queens, the political leaders of her era. The language of these letters is powerful and eloquent, resembling an oration by the general who encourages his soldiers. However, Raymond of Capua obscured Catherine’s courage and extraordinary qualities, saying “Lord taught her to read.” He even said that her words were not her own but those transmitted from the Lord(fig. 14). Modern scholars interpret this as a way to defend Catherine by describing her as ignorant and weak woman. For the last ten years of her life, she devoted herself to solving the political and diplomatic problems of the Church. She convinced Pope Gregory XI residing in his papal palace at Avignon to return to Rome. She prevented war by making peace between the Pope and the city of Florence. During the Great Schism, she went Rome to help Pope Urban VI, and died there. When woman could not act outside the boundaries of the house, she displayed extraordinary political capacity. However, none of such qualities is described in her hagiography or in the paintings. As women were regarded as ignorant and weak, when they show their insight and vision, such qualities were thought as their gift from god. When the church became entangled in overwhelming political crisis, it depended on simple faith and innocent soul. Catherine was depicted as the most weak and ignorant to be perceived as the chosen one. If she did not fast and if the paintings portrayed her as she was in real, Catherine may have been regarded as a heresy, not a saint.

영어초록

Stories about lives of female saints near the end of Middle ages are endowed with similar characteristics. They are immaculate virgins, obedient and pious. They persevere fasting and penance. They experience mysterious spiritual events. Catherine of Siena(1347∼1380) one of those female saints, but she also possessed extraordinary qualities, such as writings and political power. About eighty years after her death, she was canonized in 1461. She is revered as the saint of Italy, also the patron saint of Europe. She also received papal recognition as Doctor of the Church. Meanwhile, according to modern scholars, Catherine of Siena was a very different person from the Catherine as described in hagiography and in the paintings. The images of Catherine produced between fourteenth century and sixteenth century present her as pale and flabby as a result of her continuous fasting(fig. 4). Panel paintings produced during 1460s highlights mysterious aspect of her life by depicting her experiences of visions(fig. 7~12). Murals at the Chapel of Saint Catherine of Siena, which was built during sixteenth century to commemorate her, strongly emphasize her fasting and vision. Meanwhile, her experiences of writing(fig. 14) and political participation(fig.13) are diminished in importance. The paintings that convey scenes of her life which follow the contents of hagiography that almost resemble legends. It is told that Catherine began fasting since the age of fifteen. She reduced sleep, fastened her waist with iron belt, and flagellated herself using a whip with metal ends. The self-denial and self-sacrifice through fasting was a method of cultivating perseverance. However, it was also a condition which enabled a woman to preach to the public, cultivate her knowledge and political power in the era when many things were prohibited to women. In this context, Dominican order may have highlighted her fasting and mysterious experiences to silence the cacophony aroused by her participation in politics. Among Catherine’s mysterious experiences, the most representative ones are ‘miracle of stigmata’ and ‘marriage to Jesus.’ However, the ‘miracle of stigmata’ was also experienced by St. Francesco of Assisi two centuries ago(fig. 19) and ‘marriage to Jesus’ was a legend of Catherine of Alexandria who was the patron saint of Siena(fig. 20). These mysterious anecdotes may have been applied to Catherine’s life. Catherine is said to have experienced other visions too. The idealization of her visions may have been done by Raymond of Capua who played important role in her sanctification. Catherine left more than 400 letters to the numerous powerful figures, not only Popes and Cardinals, but also Kings and Queens, the political leaders of her era. The language of these letters is powerful and eloquent, resembling an oration by the general who encourages his soldiers. However, Raymond of Capua obscured Catherine’s courage and extraordinary qualities, saying “Lord taught her to read.” He even said that her words were not her own but those transmitted from the Lord(fig. 14). Modern scholars interpret this as a way to defend Catherine by describing her as ignorant and weak woman. For the last ten years of her life, she devoted herself to solving the political and diplomatic problems of the Church. She convinced Pope Gregory XI residing in his papal palace at Avignon to return to Rome. She prevented war by making peace between the Pope and the city of Florence. During the Great Schism, she went Rome to help Pope Urban VI, and died there. When woman could not act outside the boundaries of the house, she displayed extraordinary political capacity. However, none of such qualities is described in her hagiography or in the paintings. As women were regarded as ignorant and weak, when they show their insight and vision, such qualities were thought as their gift from god. When the church became entangled in overwhelming political crisis, it depended on simple faith and innocent soul. Catherine was depicted as the most weak and ignorant to be perceived as the chosen one. If she did not fast and if the paintings portrayed her as she was in real, Catherine may have been regarded as a heresy, not a saint.

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