New Medieval Books: The Crown of Thorns - Medievalists.net

"The depiction of the Crown of Thorns, and everything it represents, it an organic, dynamics process, rather than a single, fixed point. Its development is instead set within three distinct eras. The first development occurs in the fourth and fifth centuries, when Romano-Christian art began to render it as a wreath. The second major development occurs in the ninth-century art of the Carolingians, where two lines of innovation are introduced concurrently:"

"the scene of the Mockery, which creates a narrative context for the Crown of Thorns but excludes its depiction; and a singular suggestion of the Crown of Thorns within the so-called Instruments of the Passion. Third, and lastly, significant changes take place within the Ottonian and Salian art of the eleventh century, where the Crown is both finally depicted with distinguishable thorns and is also included within the Mockery scene."

"Throughout The Crown of Thorns, Tibble uses a wide range of sources and discusses the 'complicated evolution' of imagery through some of the most detailed, beautiful and interesting examples, many of which grace the pages of her book. Her demonstration of the evolving Christian reinterpretations of Jesus's Passion is compelling, although she tends to repeat her argument for emphasis."

Depiction of the Crown of Thorns evolved organically across three distinct eras. In the fourth and fifth centuries Romano-Christian art began rendering the Crown as a wreath. In ninth-century Carolingian art two innovations emerged: the Mockery scene, which framed the Crown narratively while excluding its depiction, and a singular suggestion of the Crown among the Instruments of the Passion. In eleventh-century Ottonian and Salian art the Crown appears with distinguishable thorns and is incorporated into the Mockery scene. Medieval kings appropriated the imagery to reinforce royal authority. A wide range of sources informs this reconstruction of shifting Christian reinterpretations of the Passion.

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