Brendan Maher

AP-Art History
12/14/16
The Vienna Genesis: Context Leveraging Form.
A silver, glimmering, and beautifully illustrated work, The Vienna Genesis; A
rendering of the first book of the bible and more specifically one of the most
important and recognized narratives of Jewish and Christian tradition. This fragment
of a much greater anthology faces confliction in some major aspects. The physical
execution of the illustrations is constrained in a thorough bout of practicality of
physical function, against unmitigated recounting of the complexity of abstract
ideals in the narrative. It was this conflict that guided the hand and mind of the
artist.
The most apparent evidence of this clash the mixture of classical conventions
with emerging, and fluid forms that allow for compacting and warping of imagery.
Continually, the narrative is totally continuous without framing each concept of the
story more is done with less space in this way. Furthermore, scale, is an illscrutinized aspect here, this allows equal importance to be placed on the events of
the whole story despite distance varying throughout.
To address the largest and most abrupt demonstration of Classical and
emerging style meeting is the bridge that divides the work in two. The bridge is
seen constructed in a classical form with Roman colonnades. The spanning structure
is also composed of precise stone blocks and arch work. Contradictory to such a
sterile and imperial design, it is playfully bent back toward the bank that it is
extended from. The warping and twisting is seen on the columns above the bridge

additionally. A great deal of space is saved by forcing line and shape in such a
direction.
Jacob and his strife with the angel Gabriel is difficult is perceive in some ways
due to the absence of interruption in the concepts and events in the story. Without
any sort of separation, the events of the story at first glance could appear to all take
place in the same chaotic moment of time. It is only upon further examination does
the story of Jacobs struggle become clear in sequence. A practice like this wasnt
totally unheard of in the classical era, rather, uncommon. Presenting the narrative
as one flowing image is again a frugal rationing of space.
Scale presents itself interestingly in the Vienna Genesis, it is almost
completely absent. Characters in the background mimic the statue of the closer
foreground characters but some of the columns of the bridge actually become
smaller as they near the foreground. This alludes to the importance of the journey
or struggle in Jewish and Christian narratives. It was the Jewish trudge through the
desert, and it was Jesus march up Calvary to Golgotha that defined these staple
narratives. The artist, by ignoring scale and place equal emphasis on the whole
story, including, the journey.
Art for hire, contracted art, that is restricted to fit inside the frames of
mythological, practical, and harmonistic scope can often yield beautiful original
works. The effort of control over a work, however a repressive act in many ways,
allows a hand other than the artist to grip the brush. It was the needs of the
Kaufmann family, that shaped iconic aspects of Falling water. It was the desire of
Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, to have an opera, written by a great Austrian, which
inspired Mozart to begin writing operas. This lead to the Emperors permission of, Le

Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), one of Mozarts greatest masterpieces,

to be created and debut in Vienna. Furthermore, it was likely the request for a
beautiful bible, one whos pages shimmered in the dim light of a fireplace, by an
aristocratic family that lead to the birth of The Vienna Genesis. The input of an
ulterior source for specific characteristics in a work of art is an intrusion of the
artistic process, the result of this, such as in the case of the Vienna Genesis, can be
magnificent.