Intermedial Afterlives of the Arma Christi in Orlando Gibbons’s ‘See, See the Word is Incarnate’

We propose that Orlando Gibbons’s consort anthem ‘See, See the Word is Incarnate’ is linked to a wider phenomenon in visual culture surrounding the imagery of the instruments of Christ’s Passion, the arma Christi. Taking a bold interdisciplinary approach, we use close reading to show how this visual tradition manifested in intermedial ways. This case study is indicative of a type of exchange between art forms that was fundamental to English artistic practice and devotional experience. Our analysis connects this music to the Passion’s long history with sight, exploring broader contexts for Gibbons’s invocation to ‘see’. We view this song as an experiment in musical intermediality, exemplifying the fluidity between the visual, textual, and musical practices of early modern England. It expands current understanding of the piece’s connections to contemporary visual culture, while examining music’s potential as a potent act of extraordinary meditation within England’s complex post-Reformation confessional landscape.