Description
Her Visions were powerful, her preaching mesmerizing, her prophesies apocalyptic, her writing truly inspiring, her paintings exquisite as well as her music in praise of God. She was also a great healer. The great prophetic voice of St. Hildegard exercised a powerful influence on humankind.
She lived from 1098 to 1179, born the tenth child of a German noble family. At the age of eight she was send to the recluse Jutta von Spanheim after Jutta’s death she decided to take her vows and follow the Benedictine way of life.
One of St. Hildegard’s major themes is the search for wisdom, ‘that elusive treasure which dwells wonderfully in the Godhead’s heart’
Even though she always suffered from poor physical health, she was a woman of indomitable energy and great mental strength who founded two convents, undertook a great deal of traveling to preach as well as dictating her work to her scribe, the monk Volmar.
Just a sampling of the great Saints writing will give an insight in to this amazing, intellectual woman:
‘I, the fiery live of divine essence, am aflame beyond the beauty of the meadows. I gleam in the waters. I burn in the sun, moon, and stars. With every breeze, as with in invisible life that contains everything, I awaken everything to life. I am the breeze that nurtures all things green. I encourage blossoms to flourish with ripening fruits. I am the rain coming from the dew that causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life.’
I sculpted her as I envision her, looking inward, self contained, intense and searching- searching-searching.
White stoneware clay, fired to cone 04
Acrylic and wax patina
