Questions surrounding queer subjectivity—including shame, the closet, and celebration—are at the core of my interests as a painter and image maker. Mining the history of religious iconography, including annunciation paintings, scenes of the crucifixion, and other notable works of this ilk, my paintings seek to explore the intricacies of sexuality and the workings of shame and celebration at play in the life of the queer-identified.

When I began developing the video game concept for my thesis, I realized that I was one of the kids that grew up in a society where video games took prevalence over historical artistry. I, however, was unaware of the hidden secrets that resided in the art and how much they contribute to the video games I enjoy playing today. This thesis aims to provide the younger generations with an engaging and stimulating way to experience historical artistry, more specifically the Italian Renaissance, without having to consult a history book. I aim to provide enough detail on multiple aspects of the movement to bring it to life in the classroom via any video game platform. Students need to develop an awareness of the benefits our digital culture gained over the centuries from the Italian Renaissance; therefore, I aspire to provide present-day children and teenagers with the ability to learn about the movement by doing one of the things they love most: playing video games. Although the art is most intriguing in its natural form, one must stay up to date with the changing times and provide the next generation with the artistic knowledge on which they might rely in their future career.

Il s’agit dans cette thèse de penser les conditions de possibilité d’une philosophie de l’art à partir d’un examen précis et rigoureux de la production artistique picturale de la Renaissance italienne. Cherchant d’abord à définir une méthode, nous étudions en détail les présupposés de l’iconologie afin d’établir ce qui nous en semble être les limites. Puis, forts de cette analyse, nous en déduisons la nécessité d’une philosophie de l’art qui, loin de se contenter d’une analyse érudite de l’icône, cherche à extraire la signification de l’œuvre à partir de sa forme sensible. Si les pensées de Platon, Hume et Kant nous semblent échouer à proposer pareille démarche, les leçons de Hegel consacrées à l’Esthétique nous offrent un schéma analytique opérant, grâce auquel l’espace, le dessin et le coloris fournissent le lieu même à partir duquel peut surgir le sens. C’est ainsi que les œuvres de Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Léonard de Vinci et Michel-Ange constituent le matériau artistique grâce auquel nous mettons à l’épreuve la pertinence du triptyque espace-dessin-coloris, tel qu’il fut élaboré par Hegel. En outre, ce sont les pensées philosophiques consacrées au lieu, à la lumière ou encore à la couleur que nous convoquons – tant chez Thomas d’Aquin que chez Marsile Ficin, chez Albert le Grand que chez Plotin, chez Aristote que chez Nicolas de Cues – afin de proposer un sens philosophique des œuvres picturales, que ne nous semblent paradoxalement pas pouvoir délivrer les théories de l’art que proposent ces derniers. Chercher le sens philosophique des œuvres à même leur sensibilité et non dans une théorie de l’image, tel est donc le projet essentiel de cette thèse. / This thesis discusses the conditions of possibility for a philosophy of art based on a precise and rigorous analysis of the pictorial artistic production of the Italian Renaissance. After attempting at defining a method, the presuppositions of iconology are studied in detail with a view to establishing what appear to be their limits. On the basis of this analysis, the author deduces the need for a philosophy of art which, rather than just carrying out an erudite analysis of the icon, endeavours to extract the meaning of a work of art on the basis of its sensitive shape. While Plato, Hume and Kant’s thoughts seem to fail in proposing such an approach, Hegel’s teachings dedicated to aesthetics offer an operational analytical framework, thanks to which space, drawing and colour provide the very place out of which sense can come into being.Hence the works of Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo constitute the artistic material out of which the relevance of the space-drawing-colour triptych, as developed by Hegel, is put to the test. Furthermore, reference is made to the philosophical thoughts on space, light and colour – as expressed by authors like Thomas Aquinas, Marsilio Ficino, Albert the Great, Plotinus, Aristotle and Nicholas of Kues – with a view to proposing a philosophical sense of pictorial works of art, which paradoxically the theories of art provided by these authors do not seem able to deliver. It is the fundamental aim of this thesis to look for the philosophical sense of works of art through their own sensitiveness and not through a theory of the image.

Gegenstand der Arbeit sind Darstellungen, die dem Umfeld zweier Heiligenkulte in Florenz angehören und auf Bestellungen der Medici, ihrer Freunde und Verbündeten zurückzuführen sind. Den ursprünglich römischen Kult seiner Namenspatrone, der hll. Cosmas und Damian hat erst Cosimo de’ Medici in Florenz bekannt gemacht. Dabei erwies sich das Fehlen einer nennenswerten Florentinischen Tradition als maßgeblicher Faktor seiner Wirkkraft. Fra’ Angelico, Filippo Lippi und andere Künstler konnten formal neuartige Bildlösungen entwickeln, deren Inhalte sich als Projektionsflächen der politischen und geistigen Florentiner Eliten eigneten. Cosimo etablierte auf diese Weise ein Netzwerk persönlicher Repräsentation, das nicht allein die Barriere zwischen privatem und öffentlichem Raum zu durchdringen vermochte, sondern auch demonstrativ über die in Florenz herkömmliche Beschränkung auf das eigene Stadtviertel hinausgriff. Mit dem Generationswechsel nach Cosimos Tod erforderten die veränderten Machtverhältnisse auch einen Wechsel in der Strategie des Kults. In der zweiten Hälfte des 15. Jahrhunderts tritt ein anderer Kult, jener der hll. Drei Könige in den Vordergrund. Dieser besaß im Gegensatz zur Verehrung von Cosmas und Damian in Florenz eine eigenständige, spezifisch republikanische Tradition. Unter deren Schutz konnte eine kontinuierliche Politisierung althergebrachter Rituale und die Übernahme der Kontrolle durch die Medici stattfinden. Auch in diesem Fall zeigt die Analyse der erhaltenen Darstellungen, dass sie den Auftraggebern als Loyalitätsnachweis dienten und die Zugehörigkeit zum Klientel der Medici und damit der städtischen Eliten markierten. Noch in der Mitte des 16. Jahrhunderts griff Herzog Cosimo I. auf strategische Elemente und Motive des Kults zurück, nun zunehmend aus dem sakralen Kontext gelöst und Bestandteil höfischer Panegyrik. / The Images observed here are mainly of two religious cults commissioned by members, friends and allies of the Medici family. In the early 15th century Cosimo de’ Medici following the example of his father introduced his patron saints, Cosmas and Damian into his native city of Florence. Prior to this the cult of these saints was of no vital importance outside Rome. Thus there was no eminent pictorial tradition of their images which proved an important factor in the cult’s success. Fra’ Angelico, Filippo Lippi and other artists were able to develop a new imagery that allowed members of Florence’s political and humanistic circles to identify with. Cosimo established a network of personal representation which did not only penetrate the barriers between private and public space but ostentatiously reached beyond the customary boundaries of a family’s home quarter. After Cosimo’s death in 1464 political instability resulted in a change of strategy. In the second half of the 15th century a different cult, that of the Three Magi, moves into the center of medicean interest. Contrary to Saints Cosmas and Damian the cult of the Magi had an ancient and marked republican tradition in Florence. Under cover of this tradition the Medici party managed to take over control of the confraternity of the Magi and wield its influential instruments to their own benefit. As with images of Saints Cosmas and Damian those depicting the Adoration of the Magi were used as a confirmation of loyalty to the Medici and their faction. Even in the 16th century Duke Cosimo I. went back to elements and motifs of his predecessors’ strategy. Rather than reviving the cult of Saints Cosmas and Damian however they are used to give evidence of political and dynastical continuity.