The Speculum Animae: An Adaptation of Germanic Iconographic Models in the Art of Meditation

Abstract

The edition and study of the Speculum Animae (SA) raised numerous questions about the origin of the proposed meditation model, both in the twelve introductory medallions and in the set of paintings that comprise the book, which stand out for the particularly stark depiction of the Passion scenes. This paper aims to show that these images are closely related to the well-studied sources of the engravings that illustrate the so-called Schatzbehalter (S), namely the Bamberg Table (T) and the Skizzenbuch (Sk). A comparison of some paintings from T and SA with engravings from S and selected sketches from Sk suggests a significant direct or indirect relationship between the paintings of SA and the sketches of Sk, which complement and explain each other. A supplementary list of thematic correspondences further indicates the importance of this connection, extending to many of the sketches and a proportionally significant number of paintings from T. However, the comparison limits the iconographic influence of the famous S engravings.