CATHEDRALS AND CASTLES OF THE SEA: SHIPS, ALLEGORY AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE IN PRE-REFORMATION NORTHERN EUROPE
Abstract
Revolving around the image of the Ship of the Church (navis
ecclesiae), this article explores the making of visual allegory in the
century between the end of the Great Schism (1378–1417) and the
beginning of the Protestant Reformation (1517 ff.). Of particular
interest here are those images in which the crucifix has been grafted
onto the mast and sail-yard of a ship (antenna crucifixi). The material
is placed in conversation with contemporary trends in the crafting
of complex allegories and new developments in both ship design
(most notably the introduction of the carrack into northern European
waters) and the visual representation of ships. The focus is mostly
on the German-speaking sphere, though select images originating
in the Italian peninsula are also taken into consideration.