Microcosmic Man in Western European Art of 12–14 cc. — Genesis and Development of Iconography

The paper is dedicated to the images of the “microcosmic man” in western European art of 12th -14th centuries. The main aim of the research was to analyze the iconographical features of the images and their genesis and to identify the patterns in changes they underwent. In order to provide the in-depth analysis of the context of the images’ existence, the significant number of antique, early Christian and medieval scientific, philosophical and theological texts related to the theories of micro- and macrocosm was studied. It allowed to regard the particularities not only in the visual treatment of the phenomenon but also in its cultural perception. Another aim was to suggest the systematization of the existent images, so far absent from the scientific literature. Addressing this goal, four iconographical groups were distinguished. Owing to the lack of complementary research on the “microcosmic man” images, the following paper is particularly useful as it suggests the basis for further study of the development of the phenomenon in the art of Later Middle Ages and Renaissance.