Burgos Cathedral

[Bert45]

Can anybody tell me what the section of the retablo of the Chapel of the Birth Of the Virgin Mary (Capilla de la Natividad de la Virgen) represents, shown in the attached photo? Thanks.

 

[DreamWeaver]

St Joachim and St Anne, parents of Virgin Mary. They were childless for many years. The day angel informed him that his wife was conceived, he rushed home, met his wife at the city gate of Jerusalem.

 

[J Walking]

I cherish the memory of visiting Burgos and the magnificent gothic Cathedral when I walked the Camino from SJPP to SdeC in 2022.

The entire side chapel in the Burgos Cathedral is dedicated to the life of the Virgin Mary including scenes of the visit of Michael the Archangel (the Annunciation), Mary’s visit to her cousin, Elizabeth (the Visitation), the arrival of the Three Wise Men to honor the infant Jesus, and other significant events in the life of Mary.
The scene you photographed is the nativity of Mary herself. The Catholic Church dogma is that she herself was born without sin (the Immaculate Conception) and therefore the holy Mother of Jesus.
I believe that the two predominant figures in the tableau are Mary’s parents: Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. Cherub (plural cherubim) are present to demonstrate that the event was divine.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Please allow me to piggyback on this thread; I have a Burgos cathedral question too. It's very broad; tell me about this large drawing on the wall, especially why it hasn't been painted in. It is near where you pick up the headsets.

Edit: And why is a foot being held?

 

[Bert45]

Thanks, Dreamweaver and J Walking. I'm sure that a lot of people think that the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Jesus. I have some difficulty figuring out how Joachim and Anne managed to do the deed without sin, but ours not to reason why etc.

 

[SabsP]

Please allow me to piggyback on this post; I have a Burgos cathedral question too. It's very broad; tell me about this large drawing on the wall, especially why it hasn't been painted in. It is near where you pick up the headsets.
View attachment 179062

Iconographie de saint Christophe : la cathédrale de Burgos. - Le blog de jean-yves cordier

Iconographie de saint Christophe : la cathédrale de Burgos. Voir : Petite iconographie de Saint Christophe à Séville, III. Le vitrail d'Arnaud de Flandres fils de la cathédrale (1546). Baie 55. Petite iconographie de Saint Christophe à Séville. II :...

www.lavieb-aile.com

 

[Bert45]

Please allow me to piggyback on this thread; I have a Burgos cathedral question too. It's very broad; tell me about this large drawing on the wall, especially why it hasn't been painted in. It is near where you pick up the headsets.
View attachment 179062

Oooh! I have a photo of that too! And no idea what it represents, unless it could be St Christopher (a guess), as I've seen paintings of St Christopher like that in other churches and cathedrals in what I think is the same area of the building, the south transept.. I came across my photo (taken in 2016) earlier today. I hope you are lucky with your piggy-back – I don't mind at all – but I think you'd have better luck with a separate post.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Thank you @SabsP. I didn't expect much but you produced much and in less than 5 minutes!

Edit: FYI, I wrote this close to Bert's post above and posted mine without seeing his.

 

[J Walking]

The foot is most likely the foot of the baby Jesus that Saint Christopher is often seen carrying on his shoulders.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

The foot is most likely the foot of the baby Jesus that Saint Christopher is often seen carrying on his shoulders.

That seems to be the case. The document that @SabsP directed me to mentioned that the top of the drawing (but it had been painted in) had been erased. A clearer detail there shows a headless Christ child.

 

[Jodean]

I have understood it that Mary was born of immaculate conception to Anne and Joachim. So, she is super pure.
The wiki article goes into more depth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Conception

I do tours where Anne is featured in wall paintings and altars, and the majority of people have never heard of her, yet there are altars all over Europe to her. When did she become forgotten, as well as Joachim.

 

[bullingtonce]

Can anybody tell me what the section of the retablo of the Chapel of the Birth Of the Virgin Mary (Capilla de la Natividad de la Virgen) represents, shown in the attached photo? Thanks.View attachment 179046

Don't know about the other figures in this painting, but the figure on the far left in a spiritual spasmodic fit, unable to come to grips with being and maintaining the appropriate spiritual state, represents how I have been most of my life. However and for some reason God still puts up with me and even cares for me (go figure) so I've been able to survive. Chuck PS No concern or sympathy needed for as soon as can find the spiritual equivalent of the 911 emergency line I will make the call. I know God has one but the Yellow Pages have absolutely of no benefit. Chuck

 

[Pafayac]

I have some difficulty figuring out how Joachim and Anne managed to do the deed without sin, but ours not to reason why etc.

Immaculate Conception (of Mary Mother of God), according to catholic theology, means that she had escaped from the "original sin".
When married people conceive a child, they do not do a sin, at least according to my understanding of what a sin is.

 

[Kathar1na]

The wiki article goes into more depth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Conception
I do tours where Anne is featured in wall paintings and altars, and the majority of people have never heard of her, yet there are altars all over Europe to her. When did she become forgotten, as well as Joachim.

Immaculate Conception and original sin versus personal sin ... not easy concepts.

Thanks for the link. I noticed this line: "In the 16th and especially the 17th centuries there was a proliferation of Immaculatist devotion in Spain, leading the Habsburg monarchs to demand that the papacy elevate the belief to the status of dogma."

I remember having read - don't ask me where - that there was quite a fight within the Catholic Church about this concept in Spain to the extent that at one time even children were singing - or were made to sing - in the streets of Seville "Inmaculada Concepción, Inmaculada Concepción" until the dispute finally ended and it was declared a dogma by the Pope.

Apparently, Seville has a tradition where choirboys perform a dance in the cathedral on the 8th of December (as well as on two other days of the liturgical year). I wonder whether it's related. It is called Baile de los Seises and it is on YouTube of course.

The day is a public holiday in Spain, Portugal, Malta, Italy and Austria.

 

[Kathar1na]

the figure on the far left in a spiritual spasmodic fit, unable to come to grips with being and maintaining the appropriate spiritual state

The man carries a sheep. That's why his arms are in the position they are in. The gate is called "Sheep Gate". It is where sheep were brought to the Temple for sacrifice. The Sheep Gate is part of a traditional narrative of Joachim and Anne.

There is often meaning in additional figures, animals and other items in religious paintings.