‘His left arm is under my head and his right arm shall embrace me’

Abstract

Many have argued that the mosaic that decorates the apsidal dome of Santa Maria in Trastevere is not a Coronation of the Virgin, but rather must be defined as a Triumph of the Virgin or Virgin in Glory. The reason for this is partly that the Virgin is not shown as she physically receives the crown from her son, Christ, and partly that the two are seated on a common throne, a synthronos. This chapter focuses on the meaning of Christ’s embrace gesture. Besides its typological significance as a reference to the bride and bridegroom from the Song of Songs, this gesture is important to understanding the picture as part of a cycle comprising several episodes, including the Virgin’s death and resurrection. The arm of Jesus and the hand he places on Mary’s shoulder must thus be read as an allusion to the soul’s reunion with God.