Art and Eucharist in the Late Middle Ages

Abstract

Contemporary with the widening acceptance of the real presence in the thirteenth century, new preaching orders radically impacted artistic production, and thus the chapter focuses some of the visual manifestations of their theological emphases and corresponding impact on popular devotion. Monumental crucifixes were perhaps the most explicit and visible form of eucharistic art prior the thirteenth century, and became even more important in the later Middle Ages. Miraculous Hosts represented an alternative to the relics of saints which had been the primary focus of pilgrimages earlier in the Middle Ages. The ascendancy of Dominicans in eucharistic theology and practice, as established by papal authority, is asserted strongly in the final scene of the Orvieto frescoes. The use of more specific eucharistic imagery was combined with the innovative use of classical forms to enhance the iconography of the Host. Keywords:artistic production; eucharistic imagery; Middle Ages; miraculous hosts; monumental crucifixes