THE INFLUENCE OF PATRISTIC STUDIES OF THE ITALIAN HUMANISTS ON THE RENAISSANCE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE XV - XVI CENTURIES
The humanists absorbed patristic heritage, being considered as a part of the classical literature, which had an impact on the iconography of Italian art of the XV-XVI centuries. Vivid expression of this tendency was the creation of the iconographic type Jerome in the study, but in the period of Counter-Reformation it disappeared, as evidenced by the lack of mention of it in the treatise De sacra picture (1624) of cardinal F. Borromeo (1564-1631). Another example of the influence of patristic studies on iconography, was the image of the ark on the relief of L. Ghiberti The Story of Noah presented contrary to the medieval iconography in the form of a pyramid. E. Wind and R. Krautheimer showed that this interpretation goes back to the commentary of Origen. But its Latin translation, known at that time, unlike the original, did not contain the word “pyramid” in the description of the form of the ark, which determined its likeness to chest. The correct understanding developed only after 1439, when the West became acquainted with the original text of Euclid’s Elements.