Meeting at the Golden Gate, Giotto, 1304-06. Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua, Italy.
Questions
-What do you think is happening in this painting?
-Why do you think that it is in a chapel? Does this give you any idea about the context of what is happening?
-What do you like about this painting? What do you not like about it?
-How does this make you feel?
Reflection
My first thought when looking at this art piece was - "Where in the Bible is that?!"
The answer - it isn't.
This kiss is between Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary the Mother of God. While we never hear of Mary's parents in the Bible, we hear about their story in the protoevangelium of James. Protoevangelium refers to something that happened before the Gospel, or before the Good News. This is an apocryphal text that is not in the Bible, but they still can be read in order to give insight, wisdom, information, or be spiritually helpful. As Christians we do not have to believe everything that is in the protoevangelium or other apocryphal texts, but they can be interesting to read and imagine what the lives of those important to salvation history were like.
The beginning of the protoevangelium tells the story of how Joachim and Anne were struggling because they were not able to conceive a child. They were growing older and felt like the Lord was not looking at them with favor, but was instead angry. It was not until Joachim went into the desert to fast and pray, and Anna lamented and asked the Lord for a child. In this they both promised that if they were to conceive a child that they would give the child to the priests to serve in the temple, serving the Lord for the rest of their life. An angel announced to Anne in her home and Joachim in the desert that they would conceive a child by the grace of God. Joachim immediately leaves the desert to reunite with his wife Anne. She could not wait to see her husband and rejoice in the news, so she rushed to meet him at the city gates - which we see in this painting.
Their meeting at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem is also known as the Gate of Mercy. How beautiful that this is where they meet after they have received the great news from God that they will conceive a child. It is God's mercy that gives them the gift of their child, Mary, who will be the greatest woman to ever live. The Mother of God was first a child, small and created in the womb. It was divine plan and intention that did not let even the Mother of God's conception be overlooked. Joachim and Anne looked to the Lord for comfort in their distress and their struggle, instead of trying to fix it themselves. I often try to reject my distress and struggle, trying to fix it myself. This denies God the great gift of exercising His power, dominion and mercy in my life. He does not desire for us to take on our crosses alone, He wants to take it on with us. His mercy is ever flowing and ever present, waiting for us to receive it as His good news. This gate also reminds me of how Mary will be called the gate of heaven, as she holds God within her and brings Christ in the world. She is the gate that allows God to become man in her womb, an act of mercy for all of humanity.
It is striking how they embrace one another, kissing with no cares about who surrounds them. It is not often in this time period to see kissing depicted in paintings, so this must have been shocking to see as a viewer in this time. Joachim and Anne are no longer in mourning and they cannot hold back their love for one another and for God. It is so beautiful that their embrace is even seen in their halos as they overlap. Their holiness is uniquely tied to one another and it is because of each other that they are able to be holy and united the Christ. You can feel their intense love for one another and can almost imagine their movement of drawing each other closer to themselves in an embrace. What a relief it must have been to finally be united, sharing in the goodness that they received and the excitement for what is to come. The rose color that Joachim is wearing reminds me of the rose vestments that priests wear on Laudate Sunday. He is in a state of rejoicing the Lord because of His goodness and the gift of the child. The orange of Anne's clothing is a color of hope, reminding us all of the hope that is in Mary, our Mother even now.
The rest of the people within the painting brings forth a potential foreshadowing of what is to come in salvation history. The man behind Joachim seems to be a worker of some sorts. Is this to represent that Mary's husband, Joseph will be a simple, working man? Then there is the woman in white behind Anne. Is this to represent Mary's purity and her immaculate conception? The other group of three women are thought to represent faith, hope and charity. The three theological virtues are ones that are gifted from God to man, these we cannot earn or naturally have. The theological virtues are made into a man when Jesus, the Incarnated Word, comes to this earth. The Lord's gifts of these virtues are present in Mary, even from the beginning. The most interesting figure in this painting to me is the woman in black. Why is she there? What does she represent? I believe that she represents the sorrow that is to come, foreshadowing what Simeon tells Mary in the temple that seven swords will pierce her heart. Even in the most joyous moments, there can still be knowledge and feelings of pain. This is the beauty of human nature, that joy and sorrow can co-exist.
Information
The artist of this painting, Giotto, is noteworthy because he is known as the Father of the Italian Renaissance. He was born in the late 13th century, around 1265 and died in 1337. Previous to Giotto, the art was mostly flat, two dimensional pieces with representations of people that did not look realistic. It was with Giotto that there began to be an increase of three dimensional spaces and people being painted. You can see in this painting how there is dimension created by the gate, tower, and bridge. How the people are not all at the same level but can be seen more forward or backward in the painting is another way that dimension is created within this image. It may seem a bit elementary, but this was actually very huge in the world of art and shows a much larger shift in society. After the Middle Ages came the Renaissance - a renewal in time, money, and focus on beauty and the arts such as painting, sculpture, clothing, music, theater and more. Giotto was one of the fathers of this renewal, with his focus on painting much more lifelike and dimensional pieces in which the great artists such as Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael, and more would follow.
This type of painting is called fresco painting. Frescos are created by applying wet plaster to a surface, then adding water-based pigments in thin layers. Basically it is painting on a wet surface in small sections. While this seems like a strange way to paint, it was used often at this time in order to create large murals. This type of painting is durable and more permanent style of creation, with a beautiful matte looking product. Fresco painting did take a great deal of skill, because once the plaster dried the painting could not be changed anymore. This would require the artist to only place the plaster that he would be able to finish in one day. Otherwise they would have to grind down the plaster to start over again, wasting much time and resources.
This specific piece is part of his much wider work in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. The chapel has several fresco paintings that depict the life of Mary and the life of Christ. The inclusion of Joachim and Anne reflects their importance even in the 14th century. The parents of Mary have been respected and are seen as an important part of her story and therefore salvation history. This chapel are the best preserved frescos painting by Giotto and are often called his greatest masterpiece. The city of Padua takes care of the chapel and they diligently protect this chapel, as they only let a certain amount of people in at a time as well as making sure that no visitors touch the frescos.
More Questions
-Is there a longtime prayer that you have been asking the Lord to fulfill? How has He shown His presence and care for you in this time of waiting?
-What distress or struggle have you been trying to fix yourself instead of turning to the Lord?
Let us pray -
Father, please have mercy on us in our distress. Sit with us in our struggles and pain and show us how we can bear our crosses like your Son did. Help us to see the ways that you answer our prayers and fulfill our desires. May we respond to your gifts in a way that brings us closer to you and more in line with your teaching. Restore in us the hope that you have good things for us and you are always in control.
St. Joachim and Anne, pray for us!
Amen.
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