Visual thought in modern orthodoxy: Art history as theology

C. Antonova

C. Antonova Institute for Human Sciences https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1526-7467

Ключевые слова: visual thought, Pavel Florensky, reverse perspective, dogma of divine timeless eternity, monumental theology, structural intuitions, hierotopy

Аннотация

In this paper I will discuss the visual category of “reverse perspective”, i.e., the principle of constructing pictorial space in the icon. I will show that in Russia one of the most basic terms in Western art history, i.e., perspective, was thoroughly reworked, even turned on its head as suggested by the terminology, in order to serve a project of modern Orthodoxy. The main proponent of the theory of “reverse perspective” was Florensky, who in his essay of that title, written in 1919, uses several different definitions of the term. In the first section of the paper, I will mention briefly six such definitions, all of which are still current in contemporary scholarship. In the second and third sections, I will suggest a possible theologically-grounded elaboration of one of Florensky’s ideas of what constitutes “reverse perspective”. According to the interpretation proposed here, “reverse perspective” becomes the visual analogue of two basic Christian dogmas – that of a timelessly eternal God and that of “theosis” or “deification”. In the last section, I will give a short background to the relationship between art history and theology, which lies at the heart of my approach.

Биография автора

C. Antonova , Institute for Human Sciences

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34680/vistheo-2023-5-1-10-21

Clemena Antonova
Institute for Human Sciences, Vienna, Austria
clemenaa@yahoo.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1526-7467

Abstract
In this paper I will discuss the visual category of “reverse perspective”, i.e., the principle of constructing pictorial space in the icon. I will show that in Russia one of the most basic terms in Western art history, i.e., perspective, was thoroughly reworked, even turned on its head as suggested by the terminology, in order to serve a project of modern Orthodoxy. The main proponent of the theory of “reverse perspective” was Florensky, who in his essay of that title, written in 1919, uses several different definitions of the term. In the first section of the paper, I will mention briefly six such definitions, all of which are still current in contemporary scholarship. In the second and third sections, I will suggest a possible theologically-grounded elaboration of one of Florensky’s ideas of what constitutes “reverse perspective”. According to the interpretation proposed here, “reverse perspective” becomes the visual analogue of two basic Christian dogmas – that of a timelessly eternal God and that of “theosis” or “deification”. In the last section, I will give a short background to the relationship between art history and theology, which lies at the heart of my approach.

Keywords: visual thought, Pavel Florensky, reverse perspective, dogma of divine timeless eternity, monumental theology,
structural intuitions, hierotopy

References

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About author

Clemena Antonova
Dr. Sci. (Art History)
Research Director (Eurasia in Global Dialogue Programme)
Institute for Human Sciences
3, Spittelauer Lände, Vienna, 1090, Austria
E-mail: clemenaa@yahoo.com

For citation:
Antonova C. Visual thought in modern orthodoxy: Art history as theology. Journal of Visual Theology. 2023. Vol. 5. 1. Pp. 10–21. https://doi.org/10.34680/vistheo-2023-5-1-10-21