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Visual Illusions and Metaphysical Illusions (MEV)
Walking through the interior of the MEV (1), the Museum of Medieval Art in Vic, offers a journey to understand the history of realistic aesthetics and numerical proportionality. The Romanesque two-dimensional (2D) paintings evolved into the deceptive 3D of the Gothic, where the vanishing lines do not align and are obscured by figures or the halos of saints, eventually leading to the 3D geometric perspective of the Renaissance. This collection of images illustrates the progression toward constructing images from a single point of view, which later facilitated the invention (2) of perspective devices and the photographic camera.
From a content perspective, it reflects metaphysical thought /3), which is difficult to grasp from a modern standpoint. For example, the interiors of Romanesque churches were not simply made of stone; they were adorned with pictorial polychromy (4). Through their forms, they aimed to evoke emotions. As historian Vicent Debiais (5) explained, seeing the figure of a Romanesque Virgin against a golden background, illuminated by candlelight, gives the impression that the figure is advancing towards us.
References
Texts
- 1. MEV: Museu d’Art medieval. [en línia]. <Disponible a: <https://museuartmedieval.cat/ > (Data Consulta: 15 de maig de 2024)
- 2. 003 Pioners en les noves etapes de la imatge / Pioneers in the new stages of image
- 3. Ferrater, J. (1971). Diccionario de la Filosofía. Tomo II. Buenos Aires: Editorial Sudamericana. P. 187.
“[…] el carácter insatisfactorio de todas las definiciones dadas de la metafísica y el continuo rechazo por ésta de todos los objetos que ha ido sucesivamente proclamado como temas propiamente metafísicos."Sucede —ha escrito Gilson— como si la historia de la metafísica fuera la de una ciencia que no acierta nunca a dar con su objeto”. Es cierto. Per habría que añadir: “y que en el curso de este desacertar va descubriendo paulatinamente su objeto”. La paradoja de Bradley es por ello todavía iluminadora: “La metafísica es el hallazgo de malas razones para lo que creemos por instinto, pero encontrar estas razones no es ya un instinto”.
- 4. 092 El vídeo mapping i l’espai tridimensional / Video mapping and three-dimensional space
- 5. La Vanguardia [en línia]. La contra: Entrevista a Vicent Debiais (Publicació 25 gener 2024). Disponible a: < https://www.lavanguardia.com/lacontra/20240125/9505172/apague-luz-encendi-velas-virgen-avanzo.html> (Data Consulta: 29 de gener 2024)
Vicent Debiais, Professor and researcher of Medieval Art at the CNNRS in Paris.
Images
- Museu d’Art Medieval [en línia]. MEV: Laterals d’altar. Mestre de Soriguerola. Finals del segle XIII. <Disponible a: <https://museuartmedieval.cat/ca/colleccions/romanic/laterals-daltar-mev-9694-9695 > (Data Consulta: 19 de maig de 2024)
Side altar. Romanesque (late 13th century), Master of Soriguerola. From the church of Sant Miquel de Soriguerola, near Urtx.
- Museu d’Art Medieval [en línia]. MEV: Compartiment de retaule amb Sant Agustí. Anònim. Segona meitat del segle XVII. <Disponible a: <https://www.museuartmedieval.cat/ca/colleccions/gotic/compartiment-de-retaule-amb-sant-agusti-mev-625 > (Data Consulta: 19 de maig de 2024)
Compartment of altarpiece with Saint Augustine. Gothic (second half of the 15th century), Anonymous. From the Astor.
- Museu d’Art Medieval [en línia]. MEV: Compartiment del retaule de la capella de Sant Bartomeu de l'Hospital de Vic amb sant Bartomeu destruint l'ídol pagà. <Disponible a: <https://museuartmedieval.cat/ca/colleccions/renaixement/compartiment-del-retaule-de-la-capella-de-sant-bartomeu-de-lhospital-de-vic-amb-sant-bartomeu-destruint-lidol-paga-mev-64 > (Data Consulta: 19 de maig de 2024)
229 Compartment of the altarpiece of the chapel of Sant Bartomeu of the Hospital of Vic with Saint Bartholomew destroying the pagan idol. Renaissance (1526-1527), Joan Gascó and Perot Gascó. Coming from the chapel of the Hospital dels Pelegrins of Vic.