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Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary (PEMM) project

Artist Falls from Ladder

Image displayed with permission of Art Institute of Chicago

Artist Falls from Ladder

  • This painting (also called an illumination) appears in a manuscript dated to 1667-1706. You can view this painting in the manuscript Art Institute of Chicago, Ada Turnbull Hertle and Marian and Samuel Klasstorner endowments, Manuscript No. 2002.4, f. 76r, s. G18764b, or learn more about this manuscript at its PEMM Manuscript page. You can also read the related story at its PEMM Story page.
  • Many Geʿez manuscript paintings are in "Synoptic Narrative Art” style; that is, a single painting depicts multiple moments in the story, providing a series of vignettes representing different plot points. PEMM calls these "episodes". This painting of PEMM Story ID 33 has 4 episodes. The painting's episode descriptions, locations, and keywords are:
  • 1. The painter sitting on a scaffold and drawing a scene (top-left). The object(s) are scaffolding; paint brush; icon; garden; tree. The living being(s) are painter; saint.
  • 2. The painter falling down from the scaffold (bottom-left). The object(s) are scaffolding. The living being(s) are painter.
  • 3. The icon of St Mary, who extends her hand to save the painter (bottom-right). The object(s) are stool. The living being(s) are Mary; painter.
  • 4. A group of demons look on (top-right). The living being(s) are demon.
  • This painting has a caption in Geʿez, which Jeremy Brown has translated as: How the painter painted the garden, the residence of the saints, and the fires of Sheol, the residence of the devil and his hosts; The garden, residence of the saints; The scaffolding upon which the painter painted.
  • The number of PEMM manuscripts that have paintings of this story is 37. The total number of paintings of this story in PEMM manuscripts is 45.
  • PEMM's ID number for this painting is 1804.
  • To reproduce this image online or in print, please contact the Art Institute of Chicago. PEMM does not own the rights.
  • If you think any of the information on this page is incorrect (e.g., the location, date, description, captions), please use our PEMM Feedback Form to let us know. We depend on users like you to improve the site.
pricenton ethiopian eritrean & egyptian miracles of marry project

The Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary (PEMM) project is a comprehensive resource for the 1,000+ miracle stories written about and the 2,500+ images painted of the Virgin Mary in these African countries, and preserved in Geʿez between 1300 and the present.

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