12th-Century Cistercian Exegesis as a Source and Background of Images: A Study of Its Selected Writings and Visual Correlates

This paper considers the Cistercian way of biblical exegesis, represented in the writing of three commentators—Bernard of Clairvaux, William od Saint Thierry, and Aelred of Rievaulx—and studies of the relationship between exegetical texts and images appearing in the Cistercian milieu. Two pictorial works, the initial O[mnes amici mei], 75r, in the Cistercian Gradual from Lubiąż and the altarpiece from the Cistercian church in Doberan (Germany) represent ostentatio vulnerum (exposition of wounds). The initial V[idi spetiosam], 131v, from the antiphonal contains a representation of the Bride. All these images correspond with sermon 61 from Bernard’s Sermones cantica canticorum. In fact the Bride finds her shelter in the foramina petrae, which are the wounds of Christ. The wounds of Christ reveal her viscera misericordiae—God’s mercy which liberates her from her sins. The initial Q[uamvis omnes], 29r, and initial Q[uid mirum], 20r, in the Citeaux manuscript, and the initial V[iri galilei], 53v, in a Kamieniec gradual, contain depictions of a man fighting a beast. All these representations are inspired by Expositio super letterae ad Romanos of William of Saint-Thierry. He considered man who loves and appreciates God’s law, but does not obey it because he is overcome by sin. Only the Son of God makes him free. There is also a picture in the pictorial cycle on the wall of the Cistercian nuns’ church in Chełmno, representing the Bride and the Bridegroom. The paining is inspired by Aelred of Rievaulx’s Expositio venerabilis abbatis de Rievalle de evangelica lectione cum factus esset Jesus annorum duodecim. Aelred commented on the episode of Jesus’ pilgrimage with his parents to Jerusalem. Aelred discovered three senses of this episode: the historical sense—Jesus follows Jewish custom, the allegorical sense—Jesus leaves the Synagogue and enters the Church, and the moral sense—Jesus-Bridegroom calls the Bride and invites her to the contemplation of his face. So this picture corresponds with the moral sense. Images interpreting biblical texts played a special role. They promoted contemplation, which was the final stage of reading in the strategy of lectio divina.