An Analysis of Pierre Reymond's Plaque with Jael Killing Sisera
James & Neiwert
Reading the Bible
22 December 2015
This plaque, depicting the murder of the Canaanite commander Sisera by an Israelite woman named Jael, was created by Pierre Reymond. Reymond was a French artist who lived during the Renaissance period, so this piece was created sometime between 1550 and 1575. While the plaque was created to depict the biblical story of Jael and Sisera, the artistic decisions that went into creating this piece can reveal information on the historical context in which this piece was made. For example, Renaissance art had several characteristics that distinguished the style from artwork of different centuries, such as religious inspiration and humanistic philosophy. Both of these characteristics can be seen in Reymond’s plaque, which means that his interpretation of this biblical story was influenced by these ideologies.
During the Renaissance period, the church and religion were inspiration for many pieces of art. However, it was most likely not due to religious devotion that artists created biblical pieces, but rather economic need. The Renaissance was unique in that artists were being commissioned by the church to create religious artwork, like the Sistine Chapel for example. In fact, when it was not being commissioned by the church, art was more often secular. Since this plaque by Reymond is a depiction of a biblical story, it is probably safe to assume that Reymond was commissioned to create this piece. Because artists were being commissioned by patrons, it shows that the Renaissance period experienced a flourishing economy and that artists had a higher social status during that time. The Renaissance was also greatly inspired by Greek and Roman art, so sculptures and other ornamental forms of art became preferred over the former fresco style. This explains why Reymond decided to create this image on a copper plaque, because he was inspired by the Roman and Greek ornamental décor that was so popular during the Renaissance.
When looking at the actual depiction of the biblical story on this plaque, it is clear that Reymond interpreted the story based on the humanistic philosophy of the time. Renaissance art often focused on a single individual who was considered a virtuous person or who had committed a righteous act. Therefore, the humanistic philosophy promoted figures that had taken control of their own destiny. In the story of Jael and Sisera, it is believed that Jael murdered Sisera the Canaanite in order to save the Israelites from oppression. By that definition, Jael would have committed a virtuous deed in order to save her people. Reymond most likely decided to depict the story of Jael and Sisera because it fit the humanistic ideologies of the Renaissance period. That would mean that Reymond interpreted Jael to be a virtuous woman who had taken control of her own destiny by committing a righteous act, even if it was murder. Because Reymond interprets Jael as a virtuous woman, that means that he condones the fact that she killed Sisera, despite murder being a sin. The humanistic philosophy of the Renaissance also highlighted important women, such as the Mona Lisa, the virgin Mary, and the goddess Venus for example. This also explains why Reymond chose to interpret a story of a strong woman in this piece, rather than a male figure.
The historical context in which an art piece was created can reveal how an artist might have interpreted the biblical scripture they are depicting. Because of the humanistic philosophy that gave Renaissance art its unique qualities, we can determine that Reymond interpreted the story of Jael to be one of an empowered, strong, and virtuous woman. Knowing the art style of the Renaissance can also help us to understand the artistic decisions that were made, such as why Reymond created this piece as an ornamental plaque rather than a traditional painting. Also, knowing that artists were often commissioned to create biblical artwork by patrons reveals that artists were respected and the economy was steady. It is truly fascinating how one piece of art can reveal so much about a period of time so long ago.
