Mother ostrich watches as her eggs start to hatch in the sun, a Christian symbol of new life, virgin birth and the Resurrection. Late Gothic or Early Renaissance fresco in ribbed ceiling vault of medieval cloister next to the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta at Bressanone-Brixen, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy.
Bressanone-Brixen, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy: an ostrich watching as her eggs start to hatch in the sun is among the Christian symbolic themes of the late 14th century and 15th century frescoes painted on the walls and ribbed ceiling vaults of the 12th century medieval cloister beside the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. Some Hebrew Bible / Old Testament writers regarded the ostrich as a cruel parent, because they believed that the female always laid her eggs on the ground, covered them with sand and then abandoned her offspring to hatch in the sun, without further intervention. But to the early Christians, the ostrich was a positive symbol of virgin birth, of new life and of the Resurrection. One third century theologian, writing in Alexandria, argued that the ostrich looked up to heaven to choose the right time to lay her eggs, adding: “ … since the ostrich knows her time, man ought to know his to a still higher degree; we have to look toward heaven, forget worldly existence, and follow Christ.” The original cloister at Bressanone-Brixen was rebuilt after a fire in 1174. Its earliest frescoes were painted in Late Gothic Style around 1390 by a group of artists active throughout this mainly German-speaking region. Later Renaissance frescoes in the cloister are either solo work by 15th century painter and sculptor Lienhart Scherhauff (also known as Leonhard von Brixen or Leonardo da Bressanone), or are by his studio, which produced fresco cycles for churches throughout South and East Tyrol. 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
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