Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Ιστορία της Νεότερης ΤέχνηςLibrary of the School of Philosophy
Author:
Christakis Andreas
Supervisors info:
Ευθυμία Μαυρομιχάλη, Επίκουρη καθηγήτρια Ιστορίας της Τέχνης, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών.
Δημήτρης Παυλόπουλος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής Ιστορίας της Τέχνης, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών.
Μαρία Ντούρου-Ηλιοπούλου, Καθηγήτρια Ιστορίας Μέσων και Νεωτέρων Χρόνων, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών.
Original Title:
Η προσέγγιση του θείου μέσω της μουσικής σε έργα της Φλαμανδικής Αναγέννησης: οι περιπτώσεις του Πολυπτύχου της Γάνδης (1432) του Jan van Eyck και του τριπτύχου της Najera (περ. 1490) του Hans Memling
Translated title:
The musical aprroach of the divine in works of Flemish Renaissance, Ghent Alterpiece (1432) by Jan van Eyck and Najera Triptych (c.1490) by Hans Memling
Summary:
According to many scholars, 15th century Flemish art is a world full of symbols and mystic theories. In the so-called “waning” of the Middle Ages we have an extremely creative artistic core, that of Flanders, which, through a period of political and economic development, "produces" and "exports" among other arts, painting and music to a big part of the Western world. Behind the enjoyment of an art from this period, there is a causal relationship between the outcome and the subject that the artist wants to communicate. Every object, realistically depicted, is a part of a carefully structured scenery, inspired by the real world but impregnated by a theosophical power, which leads to the view of a transcendental world. Music plays an important role regards on linking the earthly to the divine at this time. In the 15th century Flemish art, a period when polyphony in music achieves brilliant heights, there is a plethora of celestial orchestras, chanting hymns and playing instruments. Typical examples are the Ghent altarpiece, painted in 1432 by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck, and the Triptych with Christ and angelic musicians, painted by Hans Memling around 1490 for the Benedictine monastery in the Spanish city of Nájera. The musical depictions in these works are a coherent link for the interpretation of the whole painting. After all, the theory of the music of the spheres, of universal harmony, has been a key element since antiquity to later centuries, so we can see iconographical examples in various civilizations from Mesopotamia and Ancient Greece to the monasticism of the West and the alchemism. The main factors of universal harmony according to the christianized version of the music of the spheres theory, are the angels, portrayed as musical ensembles accompanying the Lord as the solist of a celestial harmonic consonance.
Main subject category:
Fine arts - Entertainment
Keywords:
art history, Flemish Renaissance, music of the spheres, renaissance music, musical iconography, Jan Van Eyck, Hans Memling, Ghent Altarpiece, Nájera Triptych
Number of references:
184
