The Dialogue of Art and Philosophy in Masaccio’s Holy Trinity and G. Palestrina’s Agnus Dei

The article is based on the analysis of two Renaissance works of art: Masaccio’s Holy Trinity and G. Palestrina’s Agnus Dei, which illustrate how works of art reflect the philosophy of the epoch. The author of the article draws a parallel between the nature of secular and religious Renaissance art and reveals their traditional and innovative features. The relevance of the research is due to the increased interest in the interdisciplinary scientific approach and a low number of hermeneutical studies available that reveal the common semantics of works of different art forms. Masaccio’s Holy Trinity accentuates symbolic elements characteristic of medieval art and the realistic features reflecting the trends of the Modern Era. The semantics of the painting is studied through the analysis of its structure, which presents the geometry of a triangle and a circle in their traditional philosophical interpretation. Similar methods of composition are revealed in the motet Agnus Dei by G. Palestrina. Since the motet is part of a mass dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the image of the Trinity is conveyed as if through contemplation of the Mother of God. Although there is no mention of Madonna in the traditional Latin text of Agnus Dei, her presence is indicated in the main motif of the motet. Its three-part form is associated with the symbolism of the Trinity, and each part of the work corresponds to one of Its hypostases. The findings suggest that in the works of painting and music one can trace the artistic representation of the basic philosophical ideas of the Italian Renaissance (e.g. anthropocentrism, the Trinity concept, and general ideas about the structure of the universe). In addition, conclusions are made about the further evolution and transformation of these ideas in the Baroque era

Art · Art history · Contemplation · Iconography · Iconology · Linguistics · Literature · Painting · Renaissance art · The Renaissance · Theology · Visual arts · Work of art · Philosophy · Renaissance and Early Modern Studies