Transformations of Time and Temporality in Medieval and Renaissance Art

Although studies of specific time concepts, expressed in Renaissance philosophy and literature, have not been lacking, few art-historians have endeavored to meet the challenge in the visual arts. This book presents a multifaceted picture of the dynamic concepts of time and temporality in medieval and Renaissance art, adopted in speculative, ecclesiastical, socio-political, propagandist, moralistic, and poetic contexts. It has been assumed that time was conceived in a different way by those living in the Renaissance as compared to their medieval predecessors. Changing perceptions of time, an increasingly secular approach, the sense of self-determination rooted in the practical use and control of time, and the perception of time as a threat to human existence and achievements are demonstrated through artistic media. Chapters dealing with time in classical and medieval philosophy and art are followed by studies that focus on innovative aspects of Renaissance iconography.

Simona Cohen, Professor of Art History at Tel-Aviv University, was Visiting Professor at Villa I Tatti, The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies, and taught at the International University in Venice. She has published extensively on Renaissance iconography, Venetian painting, animal symbolism, and representations of Time. Her book Animals as Disguised Symbols in Renaissance Art, was published by Brill (2008).