Set centrally in both pictures, the personification of philosophy sits enthroned as the source of the Artes liberales, the seven liberal arts. But what message lies behind these depictions? At first glance, the images, which date from the 12th century, appear to be complicated and confusing. On closer inspection, however, the diagrammatic representation illustrates the complex network of relationships between philosophy and the seven liberal arts, not only on a pictorial level, but also through captions.
Herrad von Landsberg: Hortus deliciarum
Single manuscript sheet
„Omnis sapientia a Deo Domino est.” – All wisdom comes from God. (Book of Sirach 1:1)
From the breast of the crowned Philosophia, seven streams flow to the female personifications of the liberal arts who surround her and are under her care. The division of the streams refers to the division into the trivium, the speaking, logical disciplines (grammar, rhetoric, dialectic) and the quadrivium, the calculating, physical disciplines (music, arithmetic, geometry and astronomy); together they formed the basic framework of medieval education. The role that philosophy plays in this is made clear by the contents of the scroll lying in her hands in the depiction Hortus Deliciarum: according to the biblical verse Sirach 1:1, philosophy is reinterpreted as Sapientia (wisdom). The streams flowing from her are thus to be understood as rivers of wisdom (Sirach 1:5), which nourish the arts subject to it. Philosophia also appears as the caring mother of the Artes liberales, in the sense of a comprehensive science. Moreover, the liberal arts are linked to the Holy Spirit as their creator through the inscription to the right of Philosophia – an allusion to the seven spiritual gifts (according to Isaiah 11:2), as philosophy and the liberal arts are in the service of the Christian faith in the Middle Ages.
Philosophia
The crown of Philosophia has three faces: Ethica, Logica and Physica. The combination of these three aspects refers to the ideas of Stoic philosophy, which were adapted in the Middle Ages and served the religious pursuit of knowledge.
Grammatica
Family ties: Grammatica herself is often depicted as a mother with an infant or as a teacher with a student, because she is considered the foundation of the liberal arts. In the depiction of the Hortus Deliciarum she even stands directly above Philosophia, giving her a special position within the arts.
Rhetorica
Rhetoric, the study of the art of speaking, is depicted with wings and is holding a (pointing) staff. Particularly noteworthy is Rhetorica’s similarity to Philosophia in the Hortus Deliciarum, because Rhetorica is also crowned and holds an open book in her left hand. There seems to be a similarity in the roles here, which lie in the foundations of imparting knowledge.
Dialectica
Dialectics, which is often considered a representative of logic, seeks knowledge by means of comparing and assessing. The dog’s head, characterised by its sharp senses, helps her to reach a judgment. This attribute is a rare companion to personifications.
Musica and Arithmetica
Usually, the art of arithmetic introduces the quadrivium, but not here: the musical instruments naturally refer to music. The personification of arithmetic comes second, recognisable by its counting rope. Musica therefore has the more important position here, and the order in which the figures appear allows us to deduce the respective assessment of the arts.
Geometria
The attributes of the liberal arts refer to the contents of the respective subjects. This is also the case with Geometria, who carries a globe and a carpenter’s square. She served a particularly relevant purpose in surveying land.
Astronomia
The personification of astronomy carries a celestial globe. She is often also equipped with astronomical measuring instruments – such as the astrolabe in the Hortus Deliciarum. Here she looks up to Philosophia, but points to the object in her hand. It usually forms the end of the quadrivium and thus completes the Artes liberales.
Four scribes
While the interior of the circular diagram forms the ‘sphere of order’, four figures are excluded: The inscription identifies them as “Poete vel magi” – poets and magicians who are inspired by black birds (“immundis spiritibus”, impure spirits) and are not among those trained in the liberal arts. However, their iconography presents an unsettling analogy to the evangelists, who also often write in books at desks and are inspired by the Holy Spirit as a white bird.
