"Sicut lilium inter spinas". Floral Metaphors in Late Medieval Marian Iconography from Patristic and Theological Sources

José María Salvador González

doi:10.5209/eiko.73394

Abstract

This paper proposes an interpretation of the flowers and other plant motifs present in some late medieval images of four Marian themes: the Virgin Enthroned with Child, the Virgin of Humility, the Sacra Conversazione and the Coronation of the Virgin. By supplementing certain unjustified conventions that, without any argument, see these flowers as natural symbols of Mary’s love or virginity, our iconographic proposal is based on multiple evidence by prestigious Church Fathers and medieval theologians. By commenting some significant passages of the Old Testament, all of them praise the Mother of the Savior in terms of flowers and plants as metaphors for her holiness and virtue. Thus, on the basis of a solid patristic and theological tradition, this paper attempts to interpret these botanic elements as symbolic figures of purity, humility, charity, sublimity of virtue and absolute holiness of Mary and, as the essential core, her perpetual virginity and virginal divine motherhood.

Highlights

This paper1 proposes an interpretation of the flowers and other plant motifs present in some late medieval images of four Marian themes: the Virgin Enthroned with Child, the Virgin of Humility, the Sacra Conversazione and the Coronation of the Virgin
It does not look prudent to shoulder them in an arbitrary manner, because they need to be justified with reliable arguments, extracted from the doctrinal, patristic and theological sources, which make up the solid corpus of Mariology
As a result of this research on the meaning of the flowers and botanic elements included in the Marian images selected here, it seems reasonable to extract the following corollaries: Certain conventional interpretations claim, without argument foundation, that those flowers symbolize any moral quality of Mary, in particular, her virginity or purity, charity or love, as well as her suffering in the Christ’s Passion

Summary

Prologue

Among the countless artistic images that illustrate the various topics and motifs of the multi-faceted Marian iconography 2 one finds very frequently some flowers –especially roses and lilies, known as white lilies or madonna lilies (lilium candidum)—, as well as gardens, hedges, trees and plants of various specific features Such flowers and plants, in the rare cases of having received special attention from any researcher, have generally been interpreted conventionally as natural symbols of the Virgin Mary’s virginity, purity, love, or sanctity. It does not look prudent to shoulder them in an arbitrary manner, because they need to be justified with reliable arguments, extracted from the doctrinal, patristic and theological sources, which make up the solid corpus of Mariology.3 In tune with this last idea, we have already interpreted in some papers some floral representations as metaphors for Mary in the iconographic themes of the Annunciation and Assumption. To illustrate each of these topics we will discuss iconographically some medieval european paintings –especially from Italy, Spain and Flanders— that include flowers and other botanic elements in its composition

Harvesting in Marian iconographic themes with floral elements

A hermeneutic approach in patristic and theological key

Conclusions

Sources