Renaissance 2/2011 - 1 .arina Del Negro Karem A Con$lation o$ C aracters ; e &ortra'al o$ Aristotle and Averro?s as >e)s in a 4enetian 5ncuna0ulum Fig. 1: Girolamo da Cremona, Aristotle lecturing Averröes, tempera Fig. 2: Girolamo da Cremona, ;ur0a &hilosophorum, tempera and and gold on parchment, 1483, $rontispiece o$ Aristotle%s &hysics ()it gold on parchment, 1483, $rontispiece o$ Aristotle:s 6or3s, $ol. 2, Commentar' o$ Averröes) $ol. 1, 40.+ , 27.2 cm, &ierpont Morgan &ierpont Morgan Li0rary, 1e) 2or3, in: 4enice and t e 5slamic 6orld Li0rary, 1e) 2or3, in: 4enice and t e 5slamic 6orld 828-1797, 1e) 828-179-, 1e) 7aven, 2007, p. 168. 7aven, 2007, p. 165. A Latin edition o$ Aristotle's &hysics and 6orks )it )hic he com0ined $or the $irst time a classical archi- the Commentary o$ Averroes, a t)o-volume incuna0- tectural setting wit an illusionistic device which he in- ulum, )as published in Venice in 1483.[1] ;he 0oo3s vented kno)n as the “torn parchment lea$.”[4] )ere compiled 0' the humanist Nicoletto Vernia, a Aristotle, seated on the right holds together )ell-3no)n Averroist $rom the Universit' o$ &adua his thum0 and inde, $ingers as if enumerating his and published 0' Andreas ;orresanus.[2] ;he )or3 points. ;he rings on his $ingers ma' 0e sym0olically had 0een commissioned 0' &eter Ugelheimer, a connected to his arguments $or a spherical and $inite )ealt ' German humanist )ho lived in Venice and universe centered on the earth.[5] His le$t hand is e,- )as a $re=uent partner in the >enson printing and tended to)ards Averro?s. Aristotle )ears a 0lue cape publishing 0usiness. Ugelheimer considered the dec- over a red tunic, yello) 0oots and, on his head, a red orated incuna0ulum a precious collectible.[3] Clearly, close-fitting cap called scuf$ia in Venice.[6] Bn top o$ he spared no e,penses $or the decorations o$ the the scuf$ia he )ears a hat )it a $orward-pointing $rontispieces pre$acing Aristotle's &hysics and 6orks, 0rim. Cot the hat and scuf$ia are adorned )it small $or he engaged Girolamo da Cremona, a )ell-3no)n circular 0eje)eled 0rooches. A red sha)l covers his artist )ho had trained at &adua in .antegna's )or3- stooped shoulders. His long )hite 0eard and hair un- shop and had achieved a reputation as the 0est illu- derscore his old age. Averro?s sits on the ground minator working all'antica. slightly 0elo) Aristotle, on the opposite side o$ the ;he tempera and gold on parchment illumin- composition. He is portrayed )it a long $lo)ing ation )hic portrays Averro?s and Aristotle facing one 0eard and his )hite hair is almost completely covered another, opens the te,t o$ the &hysics volume ($ig. 1). 0' a )hite round turban. ;he .uslim philosopher Girolamo enclosed the figures within a frame)ork in )ears a yello) coat )it a red sha)l and red 0oots. Marina Eel 1egro Farem A Con$lation o$ C aracters 3unstte,te.de 2/2011 - 2 He gestures to)ards Aristotle )hile, pen in hand, he characteristics o$ Je)ish attire. seems read' to )rite his $amous Commentary. ;he ;hroug out Europe >e)s )ere easily recog- Northern alpine setting in )hic the t)o philosophers niza0le 0ecause since the Fourt Lateran Council in are seated ma' 0e a re$erence to Ugelheimer’s Ger- 1215, the' had 0een compelled to )ear some signs man bac3ground. on their clothing to distinguish them $rom Christians. ;he miniature $or the second volume o$ the .ost commonly, the re=uired @distinguishing sign” incuna0ulum portrays the ;urba &hilosophorum ($ig. )as in the $orm o$ a yello) circle or 0adge. 5n 5taly, 2). Here, a group o$ seven philosophers stand almost these regulations )ere variously applied. 5n Venice, in a straight ro) near the 0alustrade o$ a classical starting in the early $ifteent century, )hen the Vene- portico. Centrally placed, Averro?s, )earing a yello) tian authorities discovered that the yello) 0adge or ro0e and light, )hite-yello)ish turban, stands ne,t to ruella could 0e easily covered, the >e)s )ere com- Aristotle. ;he Gree3, sho)n standing to Averro?s' pelled to )ear more prominent signs, usually a yello) right, appears as a 'oung, 0ro)n-bearded man. He is hat, cap or scuf$ia. ;he yello) color, o)ever, )as al- $rontally placed and )ears a 0lue cape and a 0lac3, most universally connected to pimps, prostitutes and )ide-0rimmed hat. His right hand points to)ards a other negative cultural aspects and the >e)s )ere re- cartellino )it the title o$ his 0oo3 on .etaphysics luctant to )ear it. ;here$ore, particularly in periods (Liber &rimus .etaphysicae* )hile his le$t hand points during which the Je)ish presence was essential to to his $amous commentator. Aristotle loo3s 0ac3, to- )ards &lato )ho stands to his right. His old teacher is sho)n in pro$ile, arms crossed over his chest loo3ing to)ards Aristotle. &lato )ears a green ro0e )it a 0ro)n sha)l and, like Aristotle, a )ide-0rimmed hat over a red scuf$ia. ;he t)o $igures 0ehind &lato have 0een identified as the ancient commentators o$ Aris- totle, ;hemistius, )it a red ro0e and 0ro)n sha)l, and Ale,ander o$ Aphrodisias )it a 0lue ro0e and yello) sha)l.[7] Avicenna, the other .uslim philo- sopher in this scene, stands ne,t to Averro?s. He is dressed in a red ro0e and his turban is )rapped around a multi-pointed cro)n. Farthest to the le$t, al- most at the 0orders o$ the scene is a Eominican mon3. He is reading, head do)n, eyes on the pages Fig. 3: Anonymous 4enetian artist, ;ransportation o$ t e Ar3 o$ the Covenant (detail*, tempera on parc ment, a$ter 1475, $olios ! (verso* o$ an open 0oo3. Bn the opposite side o$ the com- and 9 (recto*, &salterium, .ilan, Bi0lioteca ;rivulIiana, in: 5van &enslar and Eere3 Falmar (eds.*, Brientalism and t e >e)s, 6altham position, a monke' )it a prominent red sha)l sits on (Mass.* 2005, cover. the 0alustrade )it his 0ac3 turned a)a' $rom the group. ;he illustrations $or the $rontispieces o$ the the econom' o$ the Venetian Republic, the authorities t)o volumes )ere the last Girolamo completed. Argu- tended to loo3 the other )a' )hen >e)s )ore a red a0ly the 0est miniature painter in the second half o$ hat or scuf$ia.[8] ;he Venetians )ere satisfied in that the $ifteent century, he had )orked $or the Este in red )as still a distinguishing color )hile >e)s $ound it Ferrara. Later, he had 0een active in .antua, &adua, $ar more pre$era0le than the a0omina0le yello). ;he Hiena and Florence 0e$ore going to Venice, )here he shape o$ the >e)ish hat varied. 5talian and 1orthern )orked $rom 1474 until his deat in 1483. Girolamo’s (AshkenaIi) >e)s )ho had esta0lished permanent prolonged sojourn in .antua, Ferrara and Venice, cit- residence in 5taly )ore the same clothes as the Chris- ies )ell 3no)n $or their hig concentration o$ >e)s, tian population. ;he only dif$erence 0et)een Christian )ould have rendered him $amiliar )it the salient and >e)ish headgear )ould have 0een only a matter Marina Eel 1egro Farem A Con$lation o$ C aracters 3unstte,te.de 2/2011 - # o$ colors. Ho)ever, traveling merchants )ho lived in various 5talian cities only $or 0rie$ periods, maintained their native $ashion. ;hus, Northern >e)s typically )ore a 0lac3 )ide-0rimmed hat )it either a $lat or domed cro)n. ;he hat )as )orn over a )ool or linen scuf$ia. Nota0ly, as )e see illustrated in this Venetian &salterium o$ ca. 1475, Levantine (Eastern) Je)s, usu- ally connected to the important silk trade in Venice, maintained their native $ashion o$ )earing long ro0es and turbans )hic )ere in all details similar to the .uslim dress ($ig. #*.[9] 5n Venice, there$ore, Levantine >e)s )ould have 0een virtually indistinguisha0le $rom the .uslim merchants in the city. ;his is noted in vari- ous paintings e,ecuted to)ards the end o$ the Juat- Fig. 5: Anonymous artist, 5talian >e) )earing a at )it $or- )ard-pointing 0rim, $olio !# (verso* ms. add. 26957, British /i0rary, trocento.[10] For e,ample, AshkenaIi and Levantine London, in: ; erese MetIger, >e)ish Li$e in the Middle Ages, Fri- 0ourg 1982, p. 131. >e)s are represented mingling )ith other $oreign mer- chants in Carpaccio's Healing o$ the &ossessed .an at Rialto ($ig. !*, a )ork the artist completed in 1496 5n the $rontispiece to the &hysics ($ig. 1) Aristotle $or the Hcuola Grande di Han Giovanni Evangelista. )ears the distinguishing >e)ish red scuf$ia under his Like many other narrative paintings e,ecuted 0' vari- hat. Ho)ever, the hat has a $orward-pointing 0rim ous artists $or the Venetian Hcuole, Carpaccio’s )ork )hic is dif$erent $rom the typical )ide-0rimmed hat accurately recorded the tiniest details o$ daily life in )orn 0' merchants. ;his is the type o$ hat typically the city.[11] 5n this scene (and indeed in most o$ the )orn 0' >e)ish scholars in the $ifteent century ($ig. other narrative paintings) 5 have identified a num0er o$ 9*. Another mark o$ the @scholarly” >e)ish identit' can >e)s among the cro)ds at the $oot o$ the Rialto 0e seen in Aristotle’s red sha)l or @;allit.” ;he ;allit 0ridge, suc as the t)o AshkenaIi and Levantine )as a type o$ prayer sha)l )orn 0' >e)ish Ra00i and merchants standing in a little separate group.