Allegorical conclusion of the Christological cycle. The bird and the snake 975

This image of a peacock and a snake was made around the year 975 by the artist Ende. The artist used pigments on parchment, a processed animal skin used for writing and illumination. The artist employed distinct mark-making, using color and texture to animate the drawing. The bird’s body is covered in a dense pattern of blue dashes that make up the feathers. In contrast, the snake is delineated with diagonal lines of brown ink. And note the solid red pigment that accentuates the wings and eye of the peacock, and the snake’s tongue. These contrasts were all made by hand, in a meticulous manner, to clearly impart the allegorical relationship between the two animals. We can consider the labor invested in preparing the surface, grinding the pigments, and applying them with precision. All this informs our appreciation of the image, and our understanding of Ende’s social context as a female artist in a monastery, engaged in both craft and fine art.