Art from our discussion, May 9

From Chartres to Sant’ Ignazio:

The cathedral becomes an oil painting

Presentation by Bob Pelfrey

Linear perspective

Western Europe was the first culture whose art began to represent how things look from the perspective of the viewer.  The viewer could now see something from his or her point of view – that is,  “the way it looks to me.”  

A medieval nativity scene

Note that even though this medieval painting is very "3D", it is not yet in linear perspective (it is not an image based on "how the eye sees".)  The most important subjects of the painting are larger; note the size of the Virgin and child, compared to the visitors coming on the right.

 

A Roman wall painting

 Note that this classical painting is not in linear perspective.

Perspective "A" 

 Perspective “A” shows how the roof lines that point back in space (in the Roman wall painting) do NOT converge on a single vanishing point, as perspective B drawing does, below. 

Perspective "B"

 Perspective “B” imitates “how the eye sees.”  

Chartres - 13th century

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres - Gothic, constructed 1194-1250

  Chartres Cathedral interior

When people entered Chartres Cathedral, they were entering into a spiritual world that had no particular emphasis on the individual-as-viewer. That is, the viewer, within the cathedral, becomes absorbed into the enveloping world (and imagery) of the cathedral. 

As linear perspective images become the focus (even within churches), the individual viewer automatically "becomes the vanishing point" of the image. In one sense, the church itself becomes as focused on the individual (ego, viewer) as it does on God, or the Divine. The "human" viewer, in other words, is an explicit assumption of the very structure of the linear perspective image.

Sant’ Ignazio - 17th century

 

Chieza di Sant' Ignazio di Loyola, Rome - Baroque, constructed 1627-1650

 

The trompe l'œil ceiling of Sant' Ignazio

When people entered Sant’ Ignazio, they were looking at a spiritual world.

The entire ceiling of Sant' Ignazio is an oil painting; the viewer is literally at the vanishing point of the vision depicted. It becomes, in effect, his or her individual vision-- totally the opposite of the experience of entering into the almost undifferentiated mystery of a Gothic cathedral (like Chartres). 

This is a complete transformation (some would say reversal) of the religious point of view from the Gothic attitude of approaching God-as-mystery to the Renaissance attitude of approaching God "as perceived from the human point of view or 'perspective'".

A little history of linear perspective

Humanism, Naturalism, and the early mass media (linear perspective images, printed pictures, printed books) helped produce a radical new sense of individualism (and ego psychology) in western Europe.

A.  At first this supported a more humanistic art and architecture (Gothic, c 1200-1400) and then a more individual-centered Christianity (c 1400-1517)…

B.  …but then these issues combined to produce catastrophic theological conflict, horrific physical violence, cultural and political upheaval that resulted in…

C.  …the Protestant Reformation (“every man a priest”: “sola scriptura”; “no graven images,” etc.)…

D.  … and the Catholic Counter-Reformation (Papacy, priesthood, and all sacraments reaffirmed; no vernacular Bible; art remains a core component of private and public devotion, etc.)….

E. …the “theology of images” becomes primarily a Catholic phenomenon (except for Dutch painters such as Rembrandt) …

F.  … St. Ignatius Loyola creates a highly individualized meditation technique - The Spiritual Exercises - based on linear perspective.  The Exercises aim to re-create a conversion experience for meditators, by encouraging each individual to "enter into" the Gospel scene and imagine it from his or her own "point of view."  Counter-Reformation art (e.g. Caravaggio) reflects this new Ignatian (viz. Jesuit) “point of view…

G.  ….By c. 1700 Christianity’s “Theology of images” virtually disappears….

H.  … Except for … 

(to be continued, including your own suggestions)