Tag Archives: christ

ladder of matrimony , ladder from the crusifix

Today I put ladders and art into the search and came first to V&A collections who in turn have a great image search engine.There are a number of images , sculptures, artifacts relating to ladders in the V&A collection.

The first was a card in the shape of a ladder called the ladder of matrimony. Artist unknown. I was not particularly drawn to this but it was the first to come up
ladder of matromony

 

The second I was drawan two was a relief carving of Christ being bought down from the cross
Christ being taken down from the crusifix

looking at the relief of christ coming being taken from the Cross I think of how christ looked up to the heavens at his father…Oh why have you forsaken me..Then men had to climb a ladder to bring him down from the cross. Down to their level. The ground in readyness to bury him. To dig. In this case to put him in a cave. I’m interested how the ladder in this case is to take down rather than bring up. IN this case the fruit is the dead christ. THe descent from the cross is a powerfull point in the story. Looking into other images on the dreaded Wikipedia I notice the ladder

Then returning to the card I notice that the fold, the join is tapered to a centre point. This could be seen as one ladder or two connecting. I reflect on the dynamics of my “matrimonial” relationship. Our challenges, were we devide and meet.

At the cross there were two women. his mother a Mary and his lover Mary Magdalaine. Ok I don’t know if Mary was his lover. The saved prostitute whose feet he washed. I charachter I have always been drawn to

christ being taken from the cross.

El Descendimiento, by Rogier van der Weyden (1399/1400–1464) prado