Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index



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  • Title: Hildesheim Doors
  • Creator:
  • Description: On the left side are images from Genesis the narrative of which runs from top to bottom: God's creation of Adam and Eve, their Temptation, Fall, Expulsion from Eden, and their labor in the world. The final two images depict God's favoring of Abel's sacrifice, followed by Cain's fratricide. The right-side door presents images from the life of Christ the narrative order of which runs from bottom to top: the Annunciation to the Virgin, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, Christ before Pilate, the Crucifixion, the Woman at the Tomb, and a Noli me tangere [Do not touch me] between Christ and Mary Magdalen. The pairing of these Old and New Testament scenes illustrated the Ave-Eva topos--that the Virgin was the redemptive "new Eve" and that Christ was the "new Adam" who would save humanity from the Fall committed by the first couple.
  • Source: Wikimedia Commons
  • Rights: Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; The Copyright holder is Bischöfliche Pressestelle Hildesheim
  • Subject (See Also): Adam (Biblical Figure) Architecture- Religious Ave- Eva Topos Bible- New Testament Bible- Old Testament Eve (Biblical Figure) Fall of Humankind Garden of Eden Jesus Christ- Infancy Jesus Christ- Passion
  • Geographic Area: Germany
  • Century: 11
  • Date: 1015
  • Related Work: Scene of Eve's accusation and judgement from the Hildesheim doors (from Earlham College): http://legacy.earlham.edu/~vanbma/20th%20century/images/AAAEUMP0.jpg
  • Current Location: Hildesheim, St. Mary's Cathedral, west portal; Cathedral currently under restoration. Doors kept at Roemer- and Pelizaeus-Museum, Hildesheim until 2014
  • Original Location: Originally commissioned for St. Michael's Church, Hildesheim.
  • Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Sculptures
  • Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Doors; Bronze
  • Donor: Male Religious; Bishop Bernward (ca.960-1022)
  • Height/Width/Length(cm): 4.72 m/1.15 m/
  • Inscription:
  • Related Resources: