Page 54 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(1) (2025)

Of particular note is the subtle yet dis-
turbing motif of the infant next to a half-na-
ked mother figure. This compositional choice is
reminiscent of the gruesome reality documented
in cultural narratives from the region – infants
attempting to suckle from deceased mothers
(Tomažič 1990, 66; Ramšak 2022, 669). While
the painting preserves a certain religious deco-
rum, the folk tales from the same cultural area
Figure 2: The lower part of the painting in the plague al- of Pohorje offer more explicit descriptions of this
tar is by an unknown painter and depicts everyday life in phenomenon.
times of plague. Makole, Church of St Andrew, Slovenia The story The Merchant’s Son (‘Trgovčev
(a detail from Šiles and Radšel 2018, 26).
54 sin’, Tomažič 1990) from Pohorje takes this mo-
tif to an even more disturbing level by showing a
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 1 / volume 13 (2025), number 1
isolation because of the plague. This symbolism desperate child feeding on the dead. What may
emphasises the themes of support and care, both appear to be exaggerated folklore finds its visual
divine and earthly. St Roch is often depicted equivalent, albeit in a more restrained form, in
with a wound on his thigh caused by the plague. the altar painting. Both depictions capture the
This visible sign is a reminder of the human suf- same fundamental horror – the reversal of nur-
fering and trials that occur during an epidem- turing motherhood through death, with the
ic. It also symbolises the healing that can come child instinctively seeking nourishment from
from faith and the importance of caring for the the mother who can no longer give it.
suffering. These textual-visual parallels show how
both religious art and folktales address a collec-
b) The lower part of the plague altar tive trauma, even if the religious art maintains
In addition to these obvious symbols of the certain boundaries of propriety that the folk-
plague, the lower part of the plague altar in Ma- tales transgress by explicitly mentioning an un-
kole shows harrowing scenes from everyday life conscious mother lying on the floor and a cry-
during the plague epidemic. This part of the ing child beside her, sucking blood from an open
painting by an unknown author shows a plague vein on her arm (Tomažič 1990, 66). The subtle
scene in which the dying and sick lie or sit on the suggestion of the image and the explicit descrip-
ground in various states of suffering (nine adults tion of the narrative are complementary strate-
and one infant), while four men and a wom- gies for preserving the cultural memory of the
an look after them, carry the deceased away on profound disruption that the plague caused even
stretchers, or offer help to those still clinging to in the most basic human relationship – that be-
life. The dying or dead figures are depicted na- tween mother and child.
ked; only their genitals are covered with a cloth. On the left side of the painting, a woman is
This was a common artistic convention in Chris- depicted covering her nose with a handkerchief
tian religious paintings and symbolised respect in her right hand, probably due to the stench of
for the deceased. This conscious artistic deci- dead. With her left hand, she offers the hand-
sion preserves human dignity, even though it de- kerchief to a sick man sitting on the ground. He
picts the most devastating circumstances of mass stretches out his arms towards her to protect
death. The cloth covering symbolises an impor- himself from infectious miasmas. This detail
tant cultural and religious tradition that has pre- of the painting, showing the woman covering
served decency in the depiction of death, even her nose to avoid inhaling miasma, indicates at
under the catastrophic conditions of the plague. least two things: firstly, that people were aware