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Susannette Burroughs (History of Art major)
“To Pass Through History and Enter Sanctity: the ‘Last Judgment’ mosaic of Prague Cathedral”
Sponsor: Professor Jacqueline Jung, History of Art
Project Description
The "Last Judgment" ("Golden Gate") mosaic is located on the southern exterior of Saint Vitus' Cathedral at Prague, a fourteenth century Gothic monument. The mosaic was a framing device for activity which occurred before and behind it: it functioned to separate and relate sacred and secular pasts and presents as a permeable barrier, one which separated and joined secular and ecclesiastical realms of functionality. This project is an investigation of the high degree to which this mosaic promoted powerful localized and international messages of imperial, dynastic, and religious power in conjunction with the ceremony and activity it silhouetted. The project at hand will explore the function of one piece of art within the multi-functional cathedral environment of Prague but also illustrate how a moment of time--historically, religiously, and stylistically--was translated into a charged representation through visual culture.
Scholar's Photo
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Reading about mosaics, emperors, and saints fascinates Susannette, but seeing the mosaic live far exceeded her expectations.
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Scholar's Journal
It is amazing how much a photo in a book can change how we think of things. As a self-professed still-frame goddess, I should have known better. However, when I finally got to go to Prague Castle after a long summer of
reading about emperors and saints, I was amazed at how my perception of what the space would be like was manipulated. I thought I was going to have to try to convince every one that this tiny little mosaic was worth discussing. It turns out that the whole space is designed to bring you straight to the mosaic, from the modern and Gothic entrances to the "hrad" (castle). Sure, it is only a small part of the whole southern surface of the cathedral, but it is a huge 84 square meters soaring above your head in flashing gold when you are there in person. It was great to watch people come into the grounds the back way (the old Gothic--which is actually the front--due to a weird subway station) and mill around in front of the mosaic like they knew they were supposed to be there, only they couldn't figure out what they were supposed to do. I wanted to shout, "LOOK UP!"
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