Reclining Jesse of Bethlehem, father of King David of Israel and Judah, with a symbolic Tree of Jesse rising from his chest. Detail of a 1400s fresco decorating a ribbed ceiling vault of medieval cloister adjoining the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta at Bressanone-Brixen, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy.
Bressanone-Brixen, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy: a symbolic tree grows from the chest of a reclining Jesse of Bethlehem, father of David, King of Israel and Judah, in a detail of one of the 15th century frescoes decorating the ribbed ceiling vaults in the 12th century cloister beside the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. The Tree of Jesse was a common theme in Western Christian art, particularly in the Medieval period, with its earliest known use in an 11th century illuminated manuscript. Many later examples have survived in cathedrals and churches in the form of wall-paintings, stone-carvings, floor tiles and stained glass windows. The Tree of Jesse was used to depict Christ’s royal ancestry, with Jesse typically shown either reclining or sleeping at the foot of the artwork with a tree or vine ascending from his side or navel. The branches were filled with figures or emblems representing Christ’s ancestors, leading to Saint Mary and Jesus at the top. The device was the original inspiration for the ‘family trees’ first used by noble families to represent their genealogical heritage. The original cloister at Bressanone / Brixen was rebuilt in Romanesque style after a fire in 1174. Frescoes were painted here from about 1390 onwards by a group of artists active throughout this mainly German-speaking region. The later works are probably either by 15th century painter and sculptor Lienhart Scherhauff (also known as Leonhard von Brixen or Leonardo da Bressanone), or by artists from his workshop. The spa city of Bressanone-Brixen was founded in 901 AD, becoming the seat of powerful Prince Bishops whose influence forged links between southern Germany and northern Italy. South Tyrol became part of Italy after the 1914-18 First World War.
Size: 4288px × 2848px
Location: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Bressanone-Brixen, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1400s, 15th, adige, art, assumption, assunta, bethlehem, biblical, bressanone, bressanone-brixen, brixen, cathedral, cathedrals, catholic, ceiling, century, chest, christian, christianity, cloister, , da, david, dello, descent, duomo, family, father, fresco, frescoes, frescos, genealogical, genealogy, gospels, growing, israel, israels, italian, italy, jesse, kerr, king, kings, leonardo, leonhard, lienhart, maestro, man, maria, mary, master, origin, painting, paintings, renaissance, roman, saint, santa, scherhauff, scorpion, scorpione, south, stem, terence, testament, tree, trees, trentino-alto, trunk, tyrol, tyrolean, vault, von, western
