Delfíni na rozhraní
| Title in English | Dolphins at the Boundary |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | KŘÍŽ, Jakub. Delfíni na rozhraní (Dolphins at the Boundary). In 8. sjezd historiček a historiků umění Konce (a začátky) časů. 2024. |
| Description | In art history, dolphins play a crucial role at the boundary between two spheres, life and death, outside and inside, depth and height. Already in ancient Greek myths they appear as the saviours of drowned people (Arion), carrying souls across the waters of death alongside the god Apollo. In Christian symbolism, their image also remains positive. This is illustrated by the decoration of the westwork of the Benedictine monastery church in Corvey. Cosmas‘s identification of the hill of Prague Castle with the shape of a dolphin was probably not merely a rhetorical adornment, but perhaps also had its symbolic overlap. The dolphin thus defines the boundary of the spatial spheres, separating the elements of earth and water. The 15th and 16th centuries and the interest in the ancient heritage brought dolphins to the fore once again, while the motif still retains its Christianized meaning. Dolphins can be found on the portals of town houses, where they fulfil an apotropaic function, but also in sacred spaces in the entrances to churches or funerary chapels. That is, at the boundary between earthly life and eternal life. |
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