The Semantics of Symmetry in the Art of the Renaissance

Throughout this course the ideas of religion, shapes, mathematics, symmetry and perspective have been examined within numerous works of the Italian Renaissance and reflected upon during passionate discussions over the semester. In Heninger’s article The Semantics of Symmetry in the Art of the Renaissance he discusses many of these same ideals. The integration of these concepts within Renaissance art was a deliberate message to the viewer. Proto-renaissance works are an appropriate example of this; displaying a lack of naturalism these images focus more on the ideals than the representation of the human form. Later Renaissance works, although more naturalistic, still embody the awareness of an inner meaning but was also a ‘[…] transition period between those who sought to lead a life of the spirit [from those who sought to] lead a life of the senses, and its art reflects both attitudes’ (Heninger 306).
Most works created during the proto-renaissance, from about the thirteenth century to the early fifteenth century, stressed symbolism and an internal message more than naturalism and perspective. This is the ‘substance’ in which Heninger references in his statement ‘at the same time that Pater made art the end-all and be-all of life, he emptied it of substance’ (286). Walter Pater’s view of art is that it ‘[…] should induce an immediate,

intense emotion without the necessity of cerebral analysis. Intellectual effort, in fact, not only clutters but undermines the art event,’ when in fact intellectual effort is what the proto-renaissance was about entirely (Heninger 285). This notion is apparent in works like Berlinghieri’s Saint Francis Altarpiece in that the depiction of Saint Francis is almost two-dimensional giving him a flat appearance. Berlinghieri’s placement of Saint Francis in the middle of a gold background that lacks any perspective or depth makes him look as though he is floating in the space. The absence of naturalism is not due to the artist’s lack of talent but the piece was created to invoke thought about Saint Francis’ life. The stigmata illustrated on Saint Francis and the halo around his head was meant to demonstrate to the viewer that Saint Francis held a predominant role in that religious era. Henninger narrates that ‘indeed, works of art are our best means of achieving the much-desired divino furore’ (289). Divino fuore translated to divine frenzy meaning a state a contemplation in which a person enters communication with God that brings an intellectual pleasure. The back panel of Duccio’s Maesta, Noli me Tangere, depicts Mary Magdalene reaching out to touch Christ following his resurrection. Noli me tangere, meaning don’t touch me, as Christ tells Mary Magdalene that he is no longer of this world. Christ’s clothing gives a golden sheen portraying his other worldliness. The Maesta also shows the living and

the dead as portrayed with one living tree, bearing fruit, and one dead tree to correspond with the death and resurrection. ‘From perceiving the artifact’s external appearance, we move to an increasing awareness of its inner form, and eventually to participation in its idea;’ both the Saint Francis Altarpiece and Noli me Tangere are visually appealing but the imagery integrated within is meant to continually remind the viewer’s soul of divinity (Heninger 290). As time progressed art moved from the proto-renaissance into the period of the Renaissance imagery of the divine was illustrated more so through mathematics, shapes and perspective rather than symbolism. Brunelleschi’s Church of Santo Spirito is architecturally designed to resemble a Latin cross with a symmetrical transept. The dimensions of the side chapels and the chancel are equal-sized squares and two of those squares are equal to the length of the nave. ‘Since the godhead behind this cosmogony is good, his creation will image a comparable goodness, a comparable perfection, insured by the exercise of symmetry’ (Heninger 301). In addition there are 40 niches around the perimeter of the entire building perhaps representing the significance of the number 40 throughout the Bible. There are numerous references in the Bible of 40 days or 40 years denoting significant occurrences, punishments or denoted periods such as it rained for 40 days and 40 nights and there are 40 days

between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Masaccio’s Trinity was ‘[…] the first painting to obtrude the new laws of perspective’ (Heninger 286). This new law that Masaccio followed was Brunelleschi’s one-point system of perspective. The vanishing point is created at the center of the bottom step, which is at eye-level for most when viewing this piece at the Church of Santa Maria Novella. Having a low vanishing point causes the viewer to look upwards to the architecture and the Trinity, of God the Father, the Holy Spirit in dove form, and a crucified Christ. Heninger states that in his opinion ‘[…] linear perspective was introduced and codified in strict mathematical laws in order to allow the painter to demonstrate that underneath the transient phenomena of nature there is the mathematical underpinning of proportion and harmony and divine beauty’ (306). Using the archway Masaccio separates the worldly figures in the foreground from the figures of the infinite world in the middle ground. This piece also uses the symbolism of the skeleton and the inscription above it stating, “I was once what you are, and what I am you will also be” invoking divino furore.
Towards the end of the fifteenth century mathematics and numbers were incorporated more frequently as a way to convey the unity of earthliness and divinity. ‘[…] The mathematics of cosmos is revealed in several schemes […] such as the

cycle of the four seasons, or the alternation of day and night in the diurnal unit of [two intervals of 12 hours] […]’ (Heninger 308). This is apparent in Leonardo DiVinci’s Vitruvian Man, which connects the finite world and the infinite world using the visual of a man in two positions within both a square – the finite and a circle – the infinite symbolizing man’s ability to connect with both worlds. The center of the circle is at the navel and the center of the square is at the groin. The circle is a symbol of the infinite the ‘[…] never-ending perfection of God’ and ‘the geometrical figure representing 4 […] the square [a symbol of earthliness] deriving from the four elements, the four bodily humours [and] the four seasons […]’ (Heninger 312). Numerous geometrical measurements are evident such as the length of a man’s arm span is equal to his height and a man’s height is equal to 24 palms and a foot is equal to the width of four palms. The Last Supper, another famous DiVinci work, also exemplifies the symbolism of numbers in Renaissance art. DiVinci groups the 12 disciples in four groups of three, there are also three windows behind Christ and four tapestries on each wall. The number 3 is indicative of the Trinity; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Christ’s head at the center of the painting is the vanishing point of the linier single point perspective in this work; this vanishing point is created from the tapestries and

the coffered ceiling, all converging at Christ’s head drawing your eye to him. ‘At its origin, linier perspective in painting was designed to obtrude the mathematical organization of God’s Creation […]’ (Heninger 306).
Raphael’s Disputation over the Sacrament (or Disputa) exhibits two planes of being – earthly and heavenly. An arch or semicircular shape is repetitive throughout this piece in the arrangement of human figures, the cloud platform on which the heavenly figures are seated, the gold arches behind both God and Christ, and the lunette which the painting is in. The semicircle is once again a reference to continuous, uniform perfection of God. Single point perspective converges at the monstrance putting emphasis on the Eucharist, which according to the doctrine of Transubstantiation is literally the body of Christ. Above the Eucharist is the dove of the Holy Spirit, above that Christ sits on the Heavenly plane, and overlooking Christ is God the Father representing the direct line humanity has to God through the Eucharist. Raphael’s use of perspective uniting at the host ‘[…] simply brings the point of recession closer to the viewer’s space rather than farther away at a hypothetical

distance [which causes the viewer to] realize the unlikelihood of infinity being located in our space […]’ (Carman 9). The discussants gathered on the earthly plane are from contrasting periods in history, which also causes the viewer to be ‘[…] complicated by being contingent upon God’s infinity’ (Carman 9).
Heninger’s article The Semantics of Symmetry in the Art of the Renaissance bridges the gaps between Renaissance art, mathematics, shape, religion, perspective and symmetry allowing the viewer a better understanding of the implied meanings within the artworks of this period. ‘A work of art is such a palpable image of the ideal essences, reminding the soul that both it and the celestial forms have a common origin in heaven and thereby drawing the soul back towards contemplation of the divine;’ is a quote from Heninger that sums up the principal ideas of this paper. The Renaissance era was an important time for the evolution art, allowing for the marriage of intellectual thought and emotional conviction within works of art. The tradition of seeing mathematics, numbers, symmetry and proportions bring a harmony to the collective works of the Renaissance leaving the viewer to contemplate the state of ‘[…] ”divine frenzy,” […] that [took] the artist out of his own limited self for the extraordinary view of divinity’ (Heninger 300).

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[ 1 ]. Transubstantiation: (esp. in the Roman Catholic Church) The conversion of the substance of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ at consecration, only the appearances of bread and wine still remaining.