Bonaventure
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| - | :''[[Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages]], [[medieval art]], [[A Medieval Beauty]]'' | ||
| - | Surviving [[medieval art]] is largely religious in focus, and typically was funded by the [[Sovereign state|State]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] or [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] church, powerful ecclesiastical individuals, or wealthy secular patrons. Often the pieces have an intended liturgical function, such as [[Chalice (cup)|chalices]] or [[churches]]. | + | '''Bonaventure''' (1221 – 15 July 1274), born '''John of Fidanza''' was an Italian [[medieval]] [[Scholasticism|scholastic]] [[theologian]] and [[philosopher]], the eighth [[Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor]]. He was a [[Cardinal Bishop of Albano]]. He was [[canonized]] on 14 April 1482 by [[Pope Sixtus IV]] and declared a [[Doctor of the Church]] in the year 1588 by [[Pope Sixtus V]]. He is known as the ''"Seraphic Doctor"''. Many writings believed in the Middle Ages to be his are now collected under the name [[Pseudo-Bonaventura]]. |
| + | ===Writings=== | ||
| + | Bonaventure was formally [[canonised]] in 1484 by the Franciscan [[Pope Sixtus IV]], and ranked along with Thomas Aquinas as the greatest of the [[Doctors of the Church]] by another Franciscan, [[Pope Sixtus V]], in 1587. Bonaventure was regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages. | ||
| - | Medieval Art Objects were made from rare and valuable materials, such as [[Gold]] and [[Lapis]], the cost of which was often superior to the wages of the maker. | + | His works, as arranged in the most recent Critical Edition by the Quaracchi Fathers ([[Collegio S. Bonaventura]]), consist of a ''[[Commentary on the Sentences of Lombard]]'', in four volumes, and eight other volumes, among which are a ''Commentary on the Gospel of St Luke'' and a number of smaller works; the most famous of which are ''Itinerarium Mentis in Deum'', ''Breviloquium'', ''De Reductione Artium ad Theologiam'', ''Soliloquium'', and ''De septem itineribus aeternitatis'', in which most of what is individual in his teaching is contained. German philosopher Dieter Hattrup denies that ''De reductione artium ad theologiam'' might be written by Bonaventure, claiming that the style of thinking does not match Bonaventure's original style. His position is, however, no longer tenable given the research by Benson, Hammond, Hughes and Johnson in vol. 67 of ''Franciscan Studies'' (2009). |
| - | Art and aesthetic philosophy was a continuation of ancient lines of thought, with the additional use of explicit theological categories. St. [[Bonaventure]]’s “[[Retracing the Arts to Theology]]” discusses the skills of the artisan as gifts given by God for the purpose of disclosing God to mankind via four “lights”: the light of skill in mechanical arts which discloses the world of artifacts, as guided by the light of sense perception which discloses the world of natural forms, as guided by the light of philosophy which discloses the world of intellectual truth, as guided by the light of divine wisdom which discloses the world of saving truth. | + | For St. [[Isabelle of France (saint)|Isabelle of France]], the sister of King St. [[Louis IX of France]], and her monastery of [[Poor Clares]] at Longchamps, St.Bonaventure wrote the treatise, ''Concerning the Perfection of Life.'' |
| - | Saint Thomas Aquinas' aesthetic theory is arguably more famous and influential among the medieval aesthetic theories, having been explicitly used in the writing of the famous writer James Joyce as well as many other influential 20th century authors. Thomas, as with many of the other medievals, never explicitly gives an account of "beauty" in itself, but the theory is reconstructed on the basis of disparate comments in a wide array of works. His theory follows the classical model of Aristotle, but with explicit formulation of beauty as "pulchrum transcendentalis" or convertible with being among the other "transcendentals" such as "truth" and "goodness." Umberto Eco's ''The Aesthetics of Thomas Aquinas'' identifies the three main characteristics of beautiful things in Aquinas' philosophy as: integritas, consonantia, and claritas. Aristotle identifies the first two characteristics, with the third being an "innovation" of Aquinas in the light of Platonic/neo-Platonic and Augustinian thought. In sum, medieval aesthetic, while not a unified system, presents a unique view of beauty that deserves an in-depth treatment in the history of art. | + | The Commentary on the ''Sentences'' remains without doubt Bonaventure's greatest work; all his other writings are in some way subservient to it. It was written ''superiorum praecepto'' (at the command of his superiors) when he was only twenty-seven and is a theological achievement of the first rank. |
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| - | As the medieval world shifts into the [[Renaissance]], art again returns to focus on this world and on secular issues of human life. The philosophy of art of the ancient Greeks and Romans is re-appropriated. | + | |
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Bonaventure (1221 – 15 July 1274), born John of Fidanza was an Italian medieval scholastic theologian and philosopher, the eighth Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor. He was a Cardinal Bishop of Albano. He was canonized on 14 April 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV and declared a Doctor of the Church in the year 1588 by Pope Sixtus V. He is known as the "Seraphic Doctor". Many writings believed in the Middle Ages to be his are now collected under the name Pseudo-Bonaventura.
Writings
Bonaventure was formally canonised in 1484 by the Franciscan Pope Sixtus IV, and ranked along with Thomas Aquinas as the greatest of the Doctors of the Church by another Franciscan, Pope Sixtus V, in 1587. Bonaventure was regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages.
His works, as arranged in the most recent Critical Edition by the Quaracchi Fathers (Collegio S. Bonaventura), consist of a Commentary on the Sentences of Lombard, in four volumes, and eight other volumes, among which are a Commentary on the Gospel of St Luke and a number of smaller works; the most famous of which are Itinerarium Mentis in Deum, Breviloquium, De Reductione Artium ad Theologiam, Soliloquium, and De septem itineribus aeternitatis, in which most of what is individual in his teaching is contained. German philosopher Dieter Hattrup denies that De reductione artium ad theologiam might be written by Bonaventure, claiming that the style of thinking does not match Bonaventure's original style. His position is, however, no longer tenable given the research by Benson, Hammond, Hughes and Johnson in vol. 67 of Franciscan Studies (2009).
For St. Isabelle of France, the sister of King St. Louis IX of France, and her monastery of Poor Clares at Longchamps, St.Bonaventure wrote the treatise, Concerning the Perfection of Life.
The Commentary on the Sentences remains without doubt Bonaventure's greatest work; all his other writings are in some way subservient to it. It was written superiorum praecepto (at the command of his superiors) when he was only twenty-seven and is a theological achievement of the first rank.
