From sacred geometry to an old man: on the figure of the Father in Dante’s Divine Comedy and in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel

Abstract

Dante was exempt from the 15–16th century Renaissance humanists’ general distrust of the medieval heritage. Among many other factors, one reason for this was the experience of shared Florentine pride and destiny. In his time, Michelangelo was considered one of the best-qualified Dante-experts. Already in his lifetime (and with his knowledge), the literature began to thoroughly explore the influence of his predecessor on Michelangelo’s sculptures, paintings and poems. The paper discusses a new aspect of this influence. It seeks an answer to the question of how the representations of God can nevertheless be radically different in the Commedia and the ceiling fresco of the Sistine Chapel. How sacred geometry (the circles of the Trinity) is transformed into a vigorous old man, who directs the events of the creation like an aerial acrobat. The answer may be found in the Platonic theology and cosmology of Ficino’s Academy, which is the continuation of the Christian trend represented by Dionysius the Areopagite and Eriugena. The Father is in motion because, along with the world and man, He also creates himself; in contrast with the “outsider” claim of ego dominus et non mutor; he is also part of the “concert”.