Influences
Art, Optics, and Astrology in the Italian Renaissance
304 pages
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14 color plates, 12 halftones, 14 line drawings
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6 x 9
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© 2012
Today few would think of astronomy and astrology as fields related to theology. Fewer still would know that physically absorbing planetary rays was once considered to have medical and psychological effects. But this was the understanding of light radiation held by certain natural philosophers of early modern Europe, and that, argues Mary Quinlan-McGrath, was why educated people of the Renaissance commissioned artworks centered on astrological themes and practices.
Influences is the first book to reveal how important Renaissance artworks were designed to be not only beautiful but also—perhaps even primarily—functional. From the fresco cycles at Caprarola, to the Vatican’s Sala dei Pontefici, to the Villa Farnesina, these great works were commissioned to selectively capture and then transmit celestial radiation, influencing the bodies and minds of their audiences. Quinlan-McGrath examines the sophisticated logic behind these theories and practices and, along the way, sheds light on early creation theory; the relationship between astrology and natural theology; and the protochemistry, physics, and mathematics of rays.
An original and intellectually stimulating study, Influences adds a new dimension to the understanding of aesthetics among Renaissance patrons and a new meaning to the seductive powers of art.
Michael H. Shank, University of Wisconsin–Madison
“This fascinating book is an original and intellectually stimulating synthesis of optical theory, astrological medicine, natural philosophy, psychology, theology, architecture, and painting that sheds new light on the deep cultural embeddedness of art in late medieval and Renaissance culture. Quinlan-McGrath breaks new ground, brings together fields that need to communicate more, and offers striking interpretations of Renaissance art by fleshing out the neglected intellectual presuppositions of its practitioners and patrons.”
Christopher S. Celenza, director, American Academy in Rome
“Among the many virtues of this book, Mary Quinlan-McGrath brings two aspects of scholarship together in an innovative way. First, it is always difficult to explain to modern readers the fluid matter/spirit relation in an era well before Descartes. The idea that certain hidden, originally celestial qualities could impart long-lasting imprints onto materialized entities—and that those entities in turn could have real effects in the world—was shared to such an extent that it often did not have to be articulated. Second, Quinlan-McGrath brings this perspective into the context of patronage studies; this move represents something new in art historical scholarship. She presents a different way of understanding aesthetics and one that is much closer to what fifteenth- and sixteenth-century people experienced as they processed art. This sort of aesthetic appreciation was interactive, primarily, and assumed a fluid link between subject and object in a manner often unfamiliar today.”
Joseph Connors, Harvard University
“Astrology was everywhere in the Renaissance. Criticized, censored, and feared as the work of the devil, it nevertheless pervaded a wide spectrum of human activity. This book, ranging from Greek and Arabic science to some of the greatest works of Italian painting and architecture, explains the how and the why of astrology and helps us understand, even empathize with, a fundamental substrate of Renaissance art and thought.”
Armando Maggi, University of Chicago
“Mary Quinlan-McGrath’s Influences is a work of striking originality. With unique clarity and expertise, she proves that Italian Renaissance architecture and visual arts were significantly influenced by a complex but coherent blending of astrology, Neoplatonic philosophy, geography, and other scientific disciplines. Quinlan-McGrath’s work is a truly significant contribution to the field of Renaissance studies.”
Contents
Preface
Introduction
1. The Study of the Heavens Is Holy: The Cosmos, the Creator, Vision, and the Soul
2. Let There Be Light: Rays in the Macrocosm
3. Celestial Rays and the Earthly World of Change
4. The Physical Nature of Vision, the Material Image, and the Soul
5. Early Modern Ecosystems: The City, the Building, the Person
6. Architectural Theory and Astrological Foundations: Three Case Studies
7. The Hidden Power in a Picture: How Celestial Rays Are Trapped in Images
8. Look, Reflect, Be Changed: The Great Astrological Vaults of the Italian Renaissance
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index
For more information, or to order this book, please visit http://www.press.uchicago.edu
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