Conjoined Twins in Medieval Imagery
Notwithstanding their rarity, conjoined twins have often been remarked and represented throughout human history. The medieval visual record includes two depictions of historical twins, some exotic two-headed monsters, the ancient god Janus, and many instances of the zodiac Gemini as conjoined. Compa...
| Auteur principal: | |
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| Type de support: | Électronique Article |
| Langue: | Anglais |
| Vérifier la disponibilité: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | En cours de chargement...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Publié: |
Brill
2023
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| Dans: |
Medieval encounters
Année: 2023, Volume: 29, Numéro: 1, Pages: 3-53 |
| Sujets non-standardisés: | B
Zodiac
B Janus B Siamese twins B Monsters B conjoined twins B Gemini |
| Accès en ligne: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Résumé: | Notwithstanding their rarity, conjoined twins have often been remarked and represented throughout human history. The medieval visual record includes two depictions of historical twins, some exotic two-headed monsters, the ancient god Janus, and many instances of the zodiac Gemini as conjoined. Comparing the imagery with physiological fact, it is clear that artists were familiar with various forms of natural corporeal fusion, although they were also prone to misunderstandings. The representations reflect conflicting conceptions of the phenomenon debated among Western theologians and philosophers, that they were one person or two. Conjoined twins are found in both European and Islamic art. The conjoined Gemini, in particular, began to appear regularly in both cultures at roughly the same time toward the beginning of the thirteenth century, with possible earlier hints in the West. This parallel iconographical development raises difficult questions of genealogy and dissemination. |
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| ISSN: | 1570-0674 |
| Contient: | Enthalten in: Medieval encounters
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15700674-12340155 |