Anastasis: Research in Medieval Culture and Art (Nov 2014)
The Music of Spheres [ God as A Geometer ]
Abstract
The rediscovery and enhancement of the standards, canons or constructive techniques of the pictorial space used by the masters of the traditional periods in art history, could be a viable alternative to the identity crisis that defines contemporary art. The Gothic miniature of the 13th century, known under the name of “God as a Geometer”, displays the undeniable artistic qualities specific to the miniature genre, qualities that enhance the symbolic meaning of the image. However, the aim of our essay is to reveal the internal geometric structure used by the French monk in the making and symbolic loading of his painting, a scheme that gravitates and develops around the two circles clearly marked as the halo of the character and of the universe created by him through the compass. Precise numerical ratio obtained through the expansion of these two circles reveals the place and significance of all the elements of the miniature we analyzed.
