Medieval heritage: Ulisse Aldovrandi

Ulisse Aldovrandi(1522-1605) certainly is unknown both in Italy and to abroad, he has been a doctor and naturalist man, hence a scientist; we can consider him so, but not certainly trough the rationality  that we can ascertain to scientist men and women, and this judge has determined from his book Monstrorum historya, the history of monsters; a collection of medieval fantasies, that today are laughable  but then, year 1642, were worth trust from the readers; anyway this book is a catalog of engravers of Cristoforo Coriolano(1540-?) that have followed the description of Aldovrandi, that in this book has used the Medieval sources, and it is certified from the fantasy  that he used from the authors, in this book he has also took from the ancient authors, naturally others fantasies, as Plinius(a.Ch.20-73) and his Naturalis historya, anyway Plinius tells around the black men that have the inferior lip until the thorax and these peoples are high and very black; we must consider that then the blacks were very anomalous; anyway other authors is van Wesel(1514-1564) a medical man that, in conformity to that custom has described, as Aldovrandi mentioned it,  some anatomic particular as the huge ears that from the head until the legs, some resident in Ethiopia, that have four eyes; the fantasy of Aldovrandi and others authors before to him is very conspicuous , because other step says the in island of Taprobana, the name of ancient for the actual Sri Lanka these are men that have alone eyes in head; and some other Roman author as Filvius Torquatus consul, that tells that he has seen the men that have  one eyes ; but Aoldovrandi didn’t exclude the neck, because the Tartarian people has very long neck, but also the tail is considered, because saint peter has seen men with long tails; but among much fantasies something of true can occur; this is the men that have the hirsutism, this the downy on the face, that in engravers of Coriolano are very exaggerated , that Aldovrandi calls: “Homines silvestres”, this the wild men; but Aldovrandi isn’t ce4rtainly impolite, because he mentioned  a name of woman that has hirsutism in his city this is Bologna, Italy, he says: “In this city the downy  in Bologna and it is  a race, and he has married very noble Sorani marquise…”, naturally in this step is the formal respect of nobility of man, and he didn’t leave also the hirsutism of teen , because a description  of teen  is motive for curiosity. Finally this book is alone a catalog of strange descriptions that have took from Medieval and ancient sources, that Aldovrandi has considered very reliable, naturally we must consider that the science  was developed from some side instead others was again merely medieval.

Alessandro Lusana     

 Pictorial letters: van Gogh

The portrait the human being that we can’t know now, as Vincent van Gogh(1853-1907) a painter very famous, that has found his  vocation for the painting after together works, as the merchant, preacher and other, but we can know him trough the letters, we can know his wit, that was very complex; the first of these clues is a letter to his brother, Theo, that has endowed Vincent in his country, Dutch and board, in France, when he in year 1880 by now lover of painting, he discovered the sun in years 1886; anyway in this letter he says: “Dear Theo, you are almost extraneous…”it is a sign of psychotic withdrawal ; and this opinion is held from a step of this letter: “For this I am convinced that is very better and more logic to take is to go away as I not exist”; This detachment is motive  for confirm my opinion, because also in a room is possible paint and with other persons, and the following of this letter we can understand the will, is a need of family that shows also an weakness  of character, very important, and this confession is very meaningful: “I am an instinctive  man that makes things more or less rational, and after I repent”;  it is the instinct that he has described summery after.. But Vincent expressed also the will of new because he confesses that he wanted read, almost vital  need, and for the painting: “When I was in other environment  of artistic things, you know that I have took for that environment  a passion, that became enthusiasm...”; the necessity of novelty is clear in this step: “But what is your sake? You would say; it is clear very slow and certainly, as a sketch and the sketch become a painting, gradually, we work intensely, gradually, the first idea is in depth…”; it is the need of novelty , because during the creative process, the new evolution comes always. But some from same letter  emerges also a capacity of Vincent of psychological analysis: “Now one motive for I am an inadequate for motive that  I am during years inadequate, it is simply because I have different ideas of those of lords that give the labor to the guys that think has them. It isn’t simply of cloth…”; the capacity of Vincent of analyze herself  and also other ids evident. The Dutch wit of merchant is in this step: “After is other type of idler, idler compelled, that is consumed  from deeply from a great desire of action and that makes not something, because can’t make it…as a bird in the cage that must be there, other birds can say about him that he is idler, but he would go out”. This letter is a document of personal wit that confesses also the very unknown, and certainly trough the painting we can’t know.

Alessandro Lusana    

 

 Ancient name but the new history: Louis 18^th

The reign of Louis 18^th, king of France(1755-1824) is the continuation of return to order of Napoleon, except the return to Napoleon on the France , in year 1815, a short time  called of hundred days; anyway excluded this short Napoleonic presence, Louis 18^th has continued the Napoleonic policy, of reign of Napoleon, not declared but effective ; it is a lesson of history that Louis 18^th has understood  , because a read  to the constitution  of Louis 18^th is very explicative of this concept; he has balanced the regal power to the Napoleonic, or revolutionary rights: in fact the new constitution, regard to privileges “…are deleted regard to social class”; it is  the first clue of the change of policy, because  the Revolution burst for these class privileges, hence Louis 18^th has learned that  it is motive for  the radical and revolutionary change; inasmuch the first cause must be abolished; the freedom of cults, by now the Revolution has past, hence the Napoleonic freedom must remain, although Napoleon has had the strong control on the bishops, but the catholic cult was recognized of major religion in France, that in the constitution of 1814 became the religion of French State; but the freedom of other cults were tolerated; the change of Napoleon; the change from Napoleon to Louis 18^th, regard the policy were very short; in fact the religious policy was took from the Napoleonic code, in the constitution of Louis 18^th we can find the same concept expressed from the code, above all the national goods, that the State can expropriate but alone for the public use; the same article that the Napoleonic code has used; and regard to expropriation of Revolution, that in 2th November 1789, the national assembly had declared that the goods of the Church are expropriated because the public balance was very serious; hence the same concept that both Napoleon  and Louis 18^th have expressed, the good can be expropriated  for the national motive and in conformity of Napoleon has inserted  in his code and after the fixed to Pious 7^th  pope. It is  a historical lesson that Louis 18^th  has learned very good, because he has  also kept the National assembly , but limited fro the election, from the richness; in short he has took from ancient regime and he has used the new wit of Napoleon, and naturally of Revolution, that he has limited, as Napoleon, for its extremism. Thence we can think Louis 18^th as the more monarchic of Napoleonic. Explicative are some words of Louis 18^th : “…neither the new, nor ancient of laws that is going to be merit and the their true useful. When I have reduce everything to public useful, and I haven’t spook about the justice to everybody, and it is alone is the true public good…”; it is certainly aren’t alone beautiful words, but a concept, that during the reign of his brother, this is Louis 16^th aren’t, because the unique interest were of aristocracy and clergy, hereby the time and moral were changed, the history has been a irreplaceable master. And also the following words are meaningful: “…the freedom, this words whose very much has abused everybody is enclosed, and for its exception, it isn’t less important for the king than for the citizen”. Certainly the Revolution has learned very much.

. Alessandro Lusana

 Schematize is the potential act

If we think something , truly we make a scheme, this is  the synthetic form and image that in reality is very different , because we after enrich of particulars that aid us  to make clear the scheme, that before is very poor, but that is necessary to stop the idea and image; hence  our procedure to beginning is alone a scheme, for example an architect he begins trough the elementary forms, that after he enrich with particulars that  in primary scheme aren’t; the same intellective process is to the writer, that find an idea in reality or in his read  and after he enriches  trough the particulars, but by beginning it is alone a scheme, a synthetic form that has potentially everything necessary; this scheme not hold the universal , this is the absolute idea made, but alone the particular, this is the reality that is alone the beginning of other particular, a hinted a reality that is alone  the synthetic  composition of more complex reality, that trough  progress become idea ended, but now it is in potential, in conformity of opinion of Aristotle, it is alone the τέλος, this is ended is successive, although the particular means the universal, but in potential, and can’t be  exist an universal already ready, because it would means that the scheme isn’t, but it is present always in concept, in brain and after it becomes the finished act, but alone potentially because the ended act, this the τέλος is future, but it is alone potentially, the scheme is potential  universal as above, and universal that, I repeat, isn’t metaphysical but alone real, although partial real because the scheme is alone a hint, that is graphic  or verbal but alone  hinted, hence it is  alone a summary image of all, that after becomes act. Same dynamic of allegory, that is always a potential act, but again summary, because the meaning is hide and we must find it; inasmuch the allegory alone partial because it gives to us the image but it not explains why this image, for example the allegory of Dante Alighieri(1265-1321), that entered  to a dark wood, in Divine Comedy, it is an allegory, that after Giovanni Boccaccio(1313-1375) has explained as the sin, but without Boccaccio we, may, interpreter this wood a natural production; whereby the Boccaccio is the act of potential, this is the end of meaning. Same dynamic  of symbol, from ancient Greek σϋμβάλλω. Set together; the potential valor of symbol is similar to allegory, because it is a valor  certainly real but hints to other, thence is partial, because the particular, this is real can, differently from the allegory, referrers to material earth or metaphysical , for example: a cross is symbol of a religion, this is the Christianism, hence it refers to a God that is universal, the material cross is alone half of  meaning, but the cross is alone material, although it refers to a metaphysical concept.

Alessandro Lusana

 The theological heritage

Some book on the ancient Egypt is very important because has some note that can illustrate the human origin of the human Greek gods, a step of a book on Egypt, says: “Every action, also the more daily, has had a cosmic sense as: to plough, to sow, to product the bear, make the ships, make the war, paly these actions have seen as the actions of divine activities. In ancient Egypt the religion was so known that not needs neither of a name. For the Egyptian was not the difference between holy and daily…”; it is the totalitarian religion of ancient Greek, and the human nature of gods of Greek is took from the ancient Egypt. But the ancient Greek humanized the gods because the Egyptians has had a very severe hierarchy, that after the ancient Greek has took that their was necessary to theology, Zeus Jupiter, that was the first god of ancient religion is a translation direct or indirect, but anyway humanized, of Amen-Renef, that was everywhere and nothing could exist without him; this concept is more interesting because the ancient Greek managed to humanize the divinities that in ancient Egypt was alone nominated and whose essence is unknown. For the ancient Egyptian before of creation was alone an liquid abyss; a notation of nothing importance, but we must consider that this emptiness was translated as the Saturn that eats his sons, this the time that killed the man. The chaos, that was before of creation, was determined from the compression of matter, the atoms was gather; this note can gives to us a suspect about the Heraclitus, that tells about the atoms and about to the gather for some scheme. The voice furthermore has a valor very important, the Book of died says: “I am eternal, I have created the verb, I am the verb”, the verb is the voice and in ancient religions, Greek and Roman, but the voice is a trough of cosmic energy, a tool necessary to make in reality. The divine voice transformed the matter in the universe, ordinated, different, and given to them the objects forms. A notation about the language, because the ancient Egypt called the not creation state Nun; it is important because νοϋς, this intellect, something that can be imagined but isn’t real; hence the state of precreation can be imagined but isn’t real. The phase between the unconscious to conscious awareness of man, this is in ancient Egypt from the absolutely absence of every awareness to awareness of themselves, fro the ancient Greek, in religion, became the childhood of Jupiter to awareness of his importance and the imprisonment of Saturn. In other ancient religious text of Egypt it says: “I am much names and much forms”; it is the origin of the transformation ancient Greek of Jupiter, now is a but and the rain of gold, swan and cloud, these are the cunning transformation of Zeus  for the human infidelity. These are alone some example necessary to explain that the ancient Greek religion is a heritage from ancient Egypt.

Alessandro Lusana

 

 The limited nature of gods: Schelling

I am imagining the comments: “what a drag again Schelling(1775-1854), you and he are two pain on the neck, I confirm fully this judge; but Schelling is very master for his speculative and limited description because regard to gods he says: “In Homeric gods isn’t expressed the immorality but alone the mere limitation. They work in this limitation, and they are divine for how they work in this limitation…In their limitation they work likewise  as every natural being in the owner freely, because work so his the their nature and they don’t know other law that isn’t their nature…In the their immorality, the Homeric gods are alone ingenuous; truly they aren’t neither moral nor immoral, but untied but this contradiction”; and for explication of this concept Schelling continues: “Generally the morality isn’t something of supreme, hence nothing that can attributed to gods, it is clear fro its contrast to the beatitude, contrast that has every ended”; so read it is incomprehensible, but the explication is very simple: everybody is subject to sorrow, and other harms, instead the blissful is exempt. The concept of limitation and unlimited is expressed in this step: “The gods whose nature is composed from the two natures, they don’t live a dependent life and conditioned, but a free and independent and although they are particular, they joy the blissful of absolutely…”it is simple concept; the gods although limited, this limit is expressed trough the word “particular”, they live the blissful the is until the concept of morality or immorality; but a contradiction of Schelling, because he has said that the gods are untied from these concepts of morality and immorality: “… since beautiful and the morality are the something, we can say that the gods are absolutely moral because they are beautiful”; it is  the contradiction because he has said that the gods are untied for these concepts. Interesting the genesis of ideas that Schelling has tied to the genesis of gods: the theogony is similar to birth from ideas is born by other; and interesting is also the synthetic note: “The representation  where the universal means the particular is the schematic; instead the representation where the particular means is in the universal it is allegory”; it is means that in schematic definition we can the universal, and example: when we see a three we can think that the nature has made this three, but other can interpret it as a will of God, hence from the particular to universal, this is from the three to God, and schematic fro his synthesis, is directly to the particular, because it is synthetic, hence the same example of three, without the nature, the factor of birth of three is God alone, from universal, this is God that is universal to three that is particular, inasmuch schematic; and the concept is ended trough the last fase, this is the symbolic that has merged both in alone concept; but Schelling has took also a citation from Kant(1724-1804), that has called the scheme: “ as the rule think is reality of production of an object”; this is  the synthetic  and real process of intelligence, that works but much synthetically  fro a creation of an object in the brain.

Alessandro Lusana       

 

 The dual nature of arts

A contradiction of the arts that never we consider now and we never has considered so, a contradiction, because they are both  material and ideal in same matter and time:  a panting is beauty or not but it is always material, hence human earthly, mortal, but it represent usually holy subjects , inasmuch beyond this word or metaphysical but not certainly earthly; it is the contradiction because for the ancient sculpture it is more evident, because it follows the same  contradiction but more contradictory , why? Simple because in same sculpture is represented the god that has the equal characteristic  of other gods, this is immortal , but it also human, because the gods often have human characters; whereby in same sculpture are two characters one human and other divine; same contradiction is Christian arts, for example the Creation of man of Michelangelo(Fig.1), God is creating  Adam this is the first man, but the man is  already present, why? Simple neither Michelangelo nor other  has sees the creation of man, then Michelangelo has given a physical reference to the spectator, so that understand the subject, hence God  to represent trough human form; but it is the contradiction, he has painted the men and women that are for their nature consubstantiation , because they are the human form  but the divine nature, therefore they are the dual nature, human and divine; same consubstantiation  that we see to pagan sculpture, but for ancient sculpture it is normally accepted, because the nature of gods is dual always, for the every tale. The human is expressed for two times, because the first, when the painter paints and the second time when the divine, Christian or Pagan, image is ended, and it has two natures. We can take a judge of Schelling regard to the figures od gods: “The  absolute reality of gods is consequent  to their absolute ideal nature. They a4re absolute, but in absolute ideal nature they are the same  thing”, and the dual nature is expressed from Schelling  in his Philosophy of art, and he has written again: “Every figure the gods, are real because they are possible” it can seem alone a philosophical note, but Schelling has expressed a concept very important trough the word “possible”, because they can exist or not, and this adjective “possible” explains the arts because the human figure of gods or God can be so or not; hence the possibility is present. And the philosopher continues: “The first thing the secret of their charm and of their nature for the figuration in art is in their limitation, this is in same divine figure, the qualities that limit one other, and they are absolutely separate”. It is the concept that we  have seen before, but that we can think as dual that excludes one and other this the earthly matter and the divine nature of image.

Alessandro Lusana

Fig 1