Professor Joanna Ziegler Parcipates in Religious Art History Project

Joanna Ziegler, associate professor of visual arts at Holy Cross, will present a paper at a symposium, "Images of the Invisible God: Picturing Jesus Christ from the 8th to the 20th Century," on Saturday, March 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Held at the Uris Auditorium in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, the symposium is open to the public and free with museum admission. Along with 11 other world-renowned art historians, Ziegler was invited to participate in the art history project documenting how Jesus Christ has been depicted in art through the ages. Her contribution to the project focuses on the Passion and suffering of Jesus as depicted in the art of the late Middle Ages. Ziegler's talk, which will be delivered from 11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is titled "On the limbs and members of this young girl is the body of Christ: Mystic and Holy Dancer Elisabeth of Spalbeek." Elisabeth, a young female mystic, is the first woman - and the first person after St. Francis - documented to have borne the stigmata of Jesus Christ. Ziegler, who received her bachelor of arts degree and Ph.D. from Brown University, has been on the faculty at Holy Cross since 1982. Her research proposes a highly innovative approach to mystical practice, positioning it as a form of visual art and disputing the claim that pathological and neurological ailments were the source of mystical ecstasy. Quite the contrary, her work supports the theory that the real contribution of mysticism to understanding religion is through a controlled, rehearsed, and publicly performed art. Sponsored by the U.S. Catholic Conference Committee for Communications, the symposium is organized in conjunction with the premiere of the film, "The Face: Jesus in Art." All of the presenters at the symposium were contributing experts to this video. Following the symposium, the world premiere of the film will take place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City at 8 p.m. Tickets for the premiere are available through the music hall. Created by Thirteen/WNET New York and Voyager Productions, Ltd., Inc., the two-hour documentary captures varied representations of Christ through the ages and around the world. Images such as Michelangelo's "Pietà" and the Byzantine icons of St. Catherine Monastery digitally blend into each other to illustrate the changes in Jesus' image over time. The film is narrated by renowned actors Edward Hermann, Mel Gibson, Patricia Neal, Stacy Keach and Juliet Mills. It will air on public television during Easter weekend, April 13 to 15. Please see local listings for day and time. In preparing the documentary, the art historians met with the creative team to establish the theme and criteria for the film. Fundamental questions such as, "What did Jesus look like?" and, "Who originally formulated the image of Jesus that has come to be recognized as Christ?" were raised in the early planning stages. The art historians then researched and scripted various segments of the documentary. Ziegler found working on the film a deeply moving experience. "This project struck me very much where I live, both in terms of my own faith journey and my research and teaching as an art historian. The depictions of Christ have been, after all, of singular importance in the history of art. Teaching at Holy Cross, and the opportunity to participate in this project, have shaped my approach to my own faith, as well as my professional and personal relationship with both the art of religious history, and the role of religion in the history of art."