TO UNDERSTAND THE SCENE

Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem; c. 1409; illuminated miniature on parchment from the Très Belles Heures of the Duc de Berry; Museo Civico d’Arte Antica, Palazzo Madama, Torino.

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The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 21

And when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, Saying to them, Go into the village opposite you, and straightway you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them to me. And if any man says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord has need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell the daughter of Sion,
Behold, thy King is coming to you,
meek, and sitting on an ass,
a colt, the foal of an ass.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put their clothes on them, and they set him on them. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and spread them in the way.

And the multitudes that went before, and those that followed, cried, saying,
Hosanna to the Son of David:
Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest.

And when he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said: This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.

 (Matthew 21:1-11)

Comment

Jesus proclaims himself and is really recognized as the Messiah entering into the Holy city while being acclaimed by the Hosanna of Psalm 116. A sharp contrast with the narratives of the Passion that follow.

THE ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

Two traditional representations following the details of the text: the cloak, the children in the trees…

A slightly hieratic representation in the mosaic inspired by the Orient: the hooves of the she-ass tread only on cloaks.

On the contrary, the Russian painter plays on the closeness between Jesus and the crowd.

Two more modern representations: Gill focuses on Christ, while Ensor actualises Jesus’ entry by giving it a revolutionary character and transferring it to Brussels.

This entry into Jerusalem has been and is still celebrated under the name of Feast of Palms.

The faithful pick up palms, branches of laurel or boxwood, according to regions, to acclaim Christ. These evergreen shrubs should be put into relation with spring but, unlike other feasts, no previous celebration of spring is known even if some magical rites can be found in it.

The holy branch has often taken great importance. It is placed in the rooms of the house and even, according to regions, inside a cake… but it is generally put on gravestones, for the procession used to go round the church and crossed the churchyard surrounding it. Palm Sunday has therefore tended to become a feast of the dead in relation with the renewal of vegetation.

Palm Sunday is fixed on the Sunday before Easter; it begins the so-called Holy Week since the latter commemorates the Passion of Christ.
 

Palm Sunday in Orléans, France.
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