A trip to the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition at the Tate Britain wouldn't have been the place I'd have looked for a marvellous image for translation. The composition is by Ford Madox Brown, one of the precursors of the Pre-Raphaelites and its title is Wycliffe Reading the First Translation of the Bible into English’ (1847). John Wycliffe is at the centre of the composition and in the roundel on the top right, there is a woman reading for herself - through translation into the vernacular the Bible was accessible to all whether as listeners (represented by the listeners gathered round) or directly as the woman is doing. I don't know whether the boy holding the pile of closed bound, books is intended to represent the way in which preserving the Scriptures in Latin or Greek effectively prevented the uninitiated from hearing or reading the Word of God for themselves in a language they understand. (A fundamental tenet of the reformed Church. It's certainly the way I interpret it while the sunny clear, blue sky of the background symbolises the clarity and light and warmth which understanding brings.
Sunday 6 January 2013
Pre-Raphaelites and Translation
A trip to the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition at the Tate Britain wouldn't have been the place I'd have looked for a marvellous image for translation. The composition is by Ford Madox Brown, one of the precursors of the Pre-Raphaelites and its title is Wycliffe Reading the First Translation of the Bible into English’ (1847). John Wycliffe is at the centre of the composition and in the roundel on the top right, there is a woman reading for herself - through translation into the vernacular the Bible was accessible to all whether as listeners (represented by the listeners gathered round) or directly as the woman is doing. I don't know whether the boy holding the pile of closed bound, books is intended to represent the way in which preserving the Scriptures in Latin or Greek effectively prevented the uninitiated from hearing or reading the Word of God for themselves in a language they understand. (A fundamental tenet of the reformed Church. It's certainly the way I interpret it while the sunny clear, blue sky of the background symbolises the clarity and light and warmth which understanding brings.
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