Page 49 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 12(2) (2024)

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Figure 2: The Creation of Man, Dečani Monastery, Courtesy of BLAGO Fund, Inc.

tistic representations aimed to profoundly influ- tuition and subjecting it to the highest unity of
ence the faithful through emotions, intending thought’ (Kant 1990, 1989). From the extensive
that their prayers would be inspired by sensory corpus of the monastery’s artwork, we highlight
and visual content. Martina Bagnoli highlight- specific iconographic solutions of a dogmatic na- Analysis of the Sense Perception in the Fresco Painting of the Dečani Monastery
ed the importance and impact of iconography ture to analyse sensory perception and reinter-
on the faithful: ‘Medieval theologians recog- pret various concepts that are often allegorical-
nized that sensation elicited emotional respons- ly depicted. This analysis will provide insights
es which could distract the mind from intellec- into how sensory elements in frescoes contribute
tual pursuits. For this reason, church interiors to the theological and spiritual experience, rein-
were designed to stimulate emotions conducive forcing the connection between art and faith in
to pure thoughts and spiritual growth’ (Bagnoli medieval Serbian Orthodox tradition.
2017a, 33). The iconography of the Dečani Mon-
astery represents an illustrative form of spiritual The Creation of Adam
discourse with a centuries-old tradition of edu-
cating and conveying exegetical messages. Sup- Then the LORD God formed a man from
ported by visualizations through the senses, we the dust of the ground and breathed into his
arrive at Kant’s conclusion that ‘All our knowl- nostrils the breath of life, and the man be-
edge begins with sense, proceeds thence to un- came a living being [Gn 2:7].
derstanding, and ends with reason, beyond The iconographic scene of The Creation
which nothing higher can be discovered in the of Man belongs to the cycle painted accord-
human mind for elaborating the matter of in- ing to the First Chapter of Genesis, which de-