Thomas Aquinas’ definition of the imago Dei and the development of lifelike portraiture 

The article examines the philosophical basis of the development of man’s lifelike representation during the 13th century while focusing on Thomas Aquinas’ concept of the « image of man », imago Dei. Aquinas undertakes indeed a profound restructuring of the traditional definition of the imago Dei. By...

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Main Author: Dominic Olariu
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Centre d'Études Médievales Auxerre 2013-12-01
Series:Bulletin du Centre d’Études Médiévales d’Auxerre
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/cem/13251
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author Dominic Olariu
author_facet Dominic Olariu
author_sort Dominic Olariu
collection DOAJ
description The article examines the philosophical basis of the development of man’s lifelike representation during the 13th century while focusing on Thomas Aquinas’ concept of the « image of man », imago Dei. Aquinas undertakes indeed a profound restructuring of the traditional definition of the imago Dei. By doing so he emphasizes the soul/body relationship in the human being and singles out as profoundly important the soul’s possibility to exercise influence on the body. The article cites passages of Aquinas’ writings to demonstrate the philosopher’s thinking. It also refers to contemporary practices in rituals and hagiographic believes to show the relevance of these ideas outside the strictly philosophical and theoretical sphere. Adopting a new notion of the imago Dei meant in the same breath an increasing of the body’s ennoblement. Its most famous paradigm is the stigmata wonder of Saint Francis of Assisi. As a consequence of the new importance assigned to human corporeity, the bodies of virtuous persons become worth being represented. Lifelike portraiture of the 13th century wishes to underline the extraordinary quality of the shown persons. Therefore the resembling artifacts represent, at their beginnings, the human beings while at the most decisive moment of their earthly life : directly after the death when the body has stopped being influenced by the soul and represents a sort of a relic of the latter.
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1954-3093
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spelling doaj-art-2f3632eebce542aca35abab01cbaf19e2025-01-30T11:14:12ZfraCentre d'Études Médievales AuxerreBulletin du Centre d’Études Médiévales d’Auxerre1623-57701954-30932013-12-0117210.4000/cem.13251Thomas Aquinas’ definition of the imago Dei and the development of lifelike portraiture Dominic OlariuThe article examines the philosophical basis of the development of man’s lifelike representation during the 13th century while focusing on Thomas Aquinas’ concept of the « image of man », imago Dei. Aquinas undertakes indeed a profound restructuring of the traditional definition of the imago Dei. By doing so he emphasizes the soul/body relationship in the human being and singles out as profoundly important the soul’s possibility to exercise influence on the body. The article cites passages of Aquinas’ writings to demonstrate the philosopher’s thinking. It also refers to contemporary practices in rituals and hagiographic believes to show the relevance of these ideas outside the strictly philosophical and theoretical sphere. Adopting a new notion of the imago Dei meant in the same breath an increasing of the body’s ennoblement. Its most famous paradigm is the stigmata wonder of Saint Francis of Assisi. As a consequence of the new importance assigned to human corporeity, the bodies of virtuous persons become worth being represented. Lifelike portraiture of the 13th century wishes to underline the extraordinary quality of the shown persons. Therefore the resembling artifacts represent, at their beginnings, the human beings while at the most decisive moment of their earthly life : directly after the death when the body has stopped being influenced by the soul and represents a sort of a relic of the latter.https://journals.openedition.org/cem/13251Thomas Aquinasscholasticismfirst lifelike portraitureimago Deiinfluence of the human soul on the bodycontemporary rituals
spellingShingle Dominic Olariu
Thomas Aquinas’ definition of the imago Dei and the development of lifelike portraiture 
Bulletin du Centre d’Études Médiévales d’Auxerre
Thomas Aquinas
scholasticism
first lifelike portraiture
imago Dei
influence of the human soul on the body
contemporary rituals
title Thomas Aquinas’ definition of the imago Dei and the development of lifelike portraiture 
title_full Thomas Aquinas’ definition of the imago Dei and the development of lifelike portraiture 
title_fullStr Thomas Aquinas’ definition of the imago Dei and the development of lifelike portraiture 
title_full_unstemmed Thomas Aquinas’ definition of the imago Dei and the development of lifelike portraiture 
title_short Thomas Aquinas’ definition of the imago Dei and the development of lifelike portraiture 
title_sort thomas aquinas definition of the imago dei and the development of lifelike portraiture
topic Thomas Aquinas
scholasticism
first lifelike portraiture
imago Dei
influence of the human soul on the body
contemporary rituals
url https://journals.openedition.org/cem/13251
work_keys_str_mv AT dominicolariu thomasaquinasdefinitionoftheimagodeiandthedevelopmentoflifelikeportraiture