The style of the piece is neither Gothic nor Renaissance, but is a type of proto-Renaissance. One can see explicit shading effects on Christ’s robe and on the three human bodies in the painting. There is a slight shadow from Christ’s foot, and a light source to the left illuminates part of the scene (it is not entirely from Christ otherwise He would have no shadow). Anatomical details are generally accurate and the three human bodies appear to be fairly realistic; all exemplary aspects of Renaissance style. However, bodily positioning and gesturing is highly unnatural and symbolic, reminiscent of the Gothic and Byzantine tradition. The perfect alignment of Christ’s staff with the demon’s eye, His foot on the lower door, and the presence of plants under Christ further demonstrate the presence of iconic symbolism.It is significant that neither Christ nor those he is rescuing have halos. While it is understandable that the two figures to the right would not have halos (as they are in Limbo), Christ too is lacking one. His identity remains obvious, thanks to the cross/scepter and stigmata, but the artist apparently saw no need to emphasize his holiness. This marks a significant departure from the Gothic tradition. In fact, the only use of gold in the painting is found in the hem of Christ’s robe and in the fiery background of Hell, a place overflowing with Ruskinian Gothic grotesqueness.
There is some attempt at perspective in the foreground; the door recedes away somewhat realistically, but the mountains appear too close and the artist seems to abandon perspective after that. This may be a choice of traditional (i.e. Gothic) non-perspective or it could be due to the fantastical nature of the scene. Overall, the foreground slightly recedes but the background pops back out, creating a flat image.
To me, all these techniques suggest that the artist was experimenting with certain Renaissance features, but retained much of the Gothic/Byzantine mindset. Such a mindset proposed that “…exterior unity is accomplished not only by elements within the art, but also and mainly by the contemporary visuality or cultural context that surrounds it…” (R.S. Nelson, Visuality Before and After the Renaissance, p158) In other words, the symbolic interpretation of the viewer adds an entirely new dimension and focus to the painting, augmenting and unifying the optical features of the painting. The fact that the image is visually flat and the figures somewhat unnatural is offset by the vivid spiritual action created in the viewer’s mind. While aspects of color and form are an important part of the painting, interpretation is the key to giving it depth.
In “The Banquet”, Dante Alighieri asserts that, “writings can be understood, and ought to be understood chiefly in four senses…” He goes on to list these sentences as literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogic. The literal sense is simply the “face value” of a work, while the allegorical sense is the hidden message symbolized by literal actions. The moral and anagogic senses are sort of specialized types of the allegorical; the moral sense is the practical message or “moral” of the story, while the anagogical sense is the spiritual truth of the story as it relates to God’s plan for the world. Dante uses the example of Christ taking three disciples with him to a mountain as meaning “keep your trusted associates few” to illustrate the moral sense, and he uses a biblical passage regarding Israel leaving Egypt as meaning that “the soul becomes free upon leaving sin” to illustrate the anagogic sense. What Dante applies to writings could equally be applied to any narrative or scene, and this is especially fruitful in the case of Christo Al Limbo.
The literal scene depicted is that of the Harrowing of Hell, a theological concept that is not officially part of Catholic doctrine. The idea is that between Christ’s death and Resurrection, He descended into Limbo and rescued the souls of the Patriarchs and righteous of Old Testament, taking them to Paradise. Christ is clearly the figure to the left of the panel, and the man and woman on the right are probably Adam and Eve, the first sinners. Despite the coldness of the painting’s style, you can see a look of thanks on Adam’s face; can detect it through the grateful clasping of his Savior’s hand in both his hands. Eve holds both hands over her heart, perhaps expressing joy at her food fortune. Christ‘s bearing is triumphant, and his facial expression is slightly aggressive, as he is assaulting Hades.
The literal interpretation of this Hell is terrifying. A giant, hairy Satan sits on a huge throne, eating the damned with his four upper arms and beak-like mouth, reminiscent of the punishment reserved for the worst traitors in Dante’s Inferno. A second terrible mouth opens in the stomach, revealing fiery torment. Underneath the throne is a giant pot filled with people being boiled alive; the two-faced Satan holds a giant pronged staff that he thrusts into them, his tail slithering above their heads. Everywhere fire is fading upwards into smoke. Tongues of flame appear in the atmosphere like claw scratches. Human souls are tossed about in the billowing air of this furnace, sometimes to be caught by Satan and devoured, sometimes to be clawed by demonic bats, or to fall back into the fire. To the left, a horrifying hairy monster is about to crush a fleeing soul with a boulder. Bleak and forbidding mountains divide this Gehenna from the foreground; maybe it is the boundary between Hell and Limbo, in which case the painting is really of Limbo but offers a vista of Hell proper. Even so, the presence of a sinister demon in the lower right corner of Limbo tells us that even the outskirts of Hell are frightening.Viewing Christo Al Limbo with the other three senses is a sketchy endeavor for several reasons. One, deducing symbolic meanings is inherently fraught with uncertainty, as there is no way to confirm or deny an interpretation. Two, I do not share the same ideology, culture, or metaphysical language as the painter; some bits are familiar but others may be foreign. All this considered, I will nevertheless use these senses as best I can.
Allegorically, this image symbolizes Christ rescuing the viewer from his own Death and Damnation, just as He saved Adam and Eve from theirs. Morally, the message is that if you trust Christ, He will rescue you from your sin and damnation no matter how great the obstacles. Faith and repentance are rewarded. Conversely, if you reject Christ you will wind up with the damned souls in the background. Obviously, you should follow Christ.
The painting is rich in anagogic meaning. Overall, it represents Christ’s triumph over spiritual Death. Freshly dead from the Cross, Christ wears a red robe symbolizing His Sacrificial death and spilled blood. Notice how the robe flows abundantly and richly over his body; this symbolizes the abundance of His Grace and the adequateness of His sacrifice. It is hemmed in gold to emphasize its importance and sanctity. Its
vivid color seems as if it could wash over the darkness of the setting and cover it completely. Inside the robe, Christ is strong and determined; it is the robe that allows him to finally come to this place and fulfill his mission. He holds a crystalline cross/staff in his right hand. With it, he stabs Death in the eye and with his foot he closes the door of a tomb on it; Death itself is dead. Beneath Christ, plants are growing, symbolizing the new Life He brings.Christ reaches out to Adam and pulls him away from the Grave. Since Adam and Eve were the first sinners, as well as the first humans, the cycle of the human race has come full circle, from Damnation to Redemption. There is a slight imprint of a face just above Adam’s shoulder, as if the painter wanted the Viewer to insert himself along with couple that represents the whole of humanity. Alternatively, it could represent a wicked soul left behind in the fire.
The torment of the lake of fire, the monsters, the terror and pain, represent the self-consuming nature of sin. In sin, you will be damned and destroy yourself utterly. Your existence without God will be unimaginably awful; the fire, monsters, and torture are simply vivid ways of expressing the incomprehensibly bad nature of spiritual death.
There are doubtless other details and symbols that I, due to my culture, do not see. Perhaps the six arms of Satan or the transparency of Christ’s staff have profound meanings that remain hidden. Nevertheless, elements of Dante’s four senses can be found in the panel, giving it a depth much greater that that suggested by its limited optical perspective. Weaving Gothic/Byzantine and Renaissance traditions into a tapestry of meaning and startling imagery, Cristo Al Limbo is indeed a fascinating artwork.
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