The Caress of the Divine Gaze

At the end of his Good Friday sermon in 1272 or 1273, an anonymous Parisian preacher motions towards a crucifix and invites his audience to look at Christ: ‘“Oh true Christian, look, look how he has his head leaning down to kiss you, his arms extended to embrace you!”’ ¹ Forceful repetition of the imperative ‘look’ (‘regarde’) highlights the importance of a Christian’s looking in their relationship with the Lord. A pious Christian must grasp the image initially with a look, but then caress the image with a gaze which reveals its true significance. The preacher does not address his flock in the plural, but rather with the singular ‘Christian’ (‘chrestien’): visual adoration of Christ is a deeply personal and intimate undertaking. Stimulated by the true Christian’s gaze, the viewed image/object will gesture back, enfolding the onlooker in an embrace. Given such descriptions, it is little wonder that medievalists have identified the eye as the ‘privileged sense organ’ of the period, with intellectual knowledge expressed again and again as a product of sight. ² At the turn of the thirteenth century, the ritual of the elevation of the Eucharist during mass was instituted. Later traditions such as Corpus Christi processions, the ringing of bells at the moment of elevation, and the popularity of monstrances led ‘to an emphasis on “seeing God”’ as a central worship practice. ³ Nevertheless, haptic perception was central to medieval optical theories. As such, touch is ultimately the most privileged sense in the era. ⁴