In Which the Elf Condenses
Condensing a formal essay into a short, blunt summary is surprisingly energizing. I spent a few hours toiling on an essay for my Sistine Chapel tutorial class, describing a fresco called "Gift of the Keys." Then I got fed up and wrote the following:
Christ gives the keys to Peter. Peter is the first Pope; the message is clear: popes have power directly from God, so listen up or there’ll be some smiting goin’ down. The scene is front and center. And just in case you still don’t get the message, there’re these three buildings in the back: Arches of Constantine flanking Solomon’s Temple. (Actually it’s a mosque, but who needs details like that when you’ve got God on your side?) The Arches are emblazoned with Sixtus’s statement, “I’m better than Solomon, who was the wisest and mightiest king ever!” Constantine, incidentally, is the Roman emperor who brought Christianity to the Empire. And in case you’re really abysmally dense, the arches- symbols of earthly Christianity- flank the Temple- a symbol, among other things, for Christ’s body.
Oh yeah, there’s this scene on the left to reassure monarchs and the like that they’re not gonna be wholly kicked out in this life. The Church pays its due to the secular authorities- as long as they don’t forget about the papal supremacy hammered into them by the rest if the painting.
Any questions?
Remarkable how much easier it's been to write the formal version since. ^_^
Christ gives the keys to Peter. Peter is the first Pope; the message is clear: popes have power directly from God, so listen up or there’ll be some smiting goin’ down. The scene is front and center. And just in case you still don’t get the message, there’re these three buildings in the back: Arches of Constantine flanking Solomon’s Temple. (Actually it’s a mosque, but who needs details like that when you’ve got God on your side?) The Arches are emblazoned with Sixtus’s statement, “I’m better than Solomon, who was the wisest and mightiest king ever!” Constantine, incidentally, is the Roman emperor who brought Christianity to the Empire. And in case you’re really abysmally dense, the arches- symbols of earthly Christianity- flank the Temple- a symbol, among other things, for Christ’s body.
Oh yeah, there’s this scene on the left to reassure monarchs and the like that they’re not gonna be wholly kicked out in this life. The Church pays its due to the secular authorities- as long as they don’t forget about the papal supremacy hammered into them by the rest if the painting.
Any questions?
Remarkable how much easier it's been to write the formal version since. ^_^