Why Babies in Medieval Art Look Adult and Creepy

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Babies in medieval art have one thing in common: they are not like babies. Instead, they resemble miniature versions of middle-aged men and women, sometimes with receding hairline and sturdy bodies. Images of strange, prematurely aged toddlers have appeared throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, when this trend (thankfully) began to fade. About what became the main reason for such a strange image of babies in old paintings - further in the article.

Art is full of symbolism - and these creepy babies who look like they want to sell someone else's soul to the devil are no exception. Perhaps such paintings may seem strange to the modern viewer, but the artists of those times had their own views on this matter. As it turned out, this was not without Christian theology, medieval medicine and the outdated theory of childhood.

1. Jesus

In depicting Jesus Christ, the most commonly depicted infant in medieval art, artists relied on prevailing Christian beliefs. At that time, the church believed that Christ was essentially a perfectly formed and unchanging person throughout his life.

This meant that the Christ child had to appear in adult form, because he did not have to change with age. The church did not want Christ to be portrayed as a baby. Instead, they opted for a diminutive, old enough man.

2. Christian church

In the Middle Ages, private portraits were rare. Most of the paintings with children were commissioned by the Christian church, which meant that the plots were usually limited to a few biblical babies, including Jesus in infancy.

Since Jesus was one of the most frequently depicted babies, other babies in medieval art naturally began to share his features as a mature person in the body of a child.

3. The theory of homunculus

The tendency of medieval artists to depict babies with adult features stemmed in part from the theory of the homunculus, which means "little man." According to belief, a homunculus is a fully formed human thought that existed before conception. The idea first came about when the alchemist Paracelsus used the term in his instructions for creating a child without fertilization or pregnancy.

Homunculus theory has spread to other disciplines, including theology, reproductive science, and the arts.

4. Medieval art was expressionist

While Renaissance artists focused on realism, medieval artists were more interested in expressionism. Art history professor Matthew Everett once said that the strangeness we see in medieval art stems from a lack of interest in naturalism, and that painters tended more towards expressionist conventions.

Medieval artists didn't care if babies in their work looked like real babies. Artists of that era were tied to conventions and painting styles were largely uniform. In many cases, these conventions were based more on religious symbolism than on real life. The church had certain standards for depicting Christ in infancy, so most artists adhered to this tradition.

5. Strange concepts about childhood

Medieval scientists and philosophers viewed young children differently from most modern parents. Until the 18th century, Christian teachings described children as small, handicapped adults who needed to be raised with strict discipline and moral lessons.

French historian Philippe Arieu suggested that medieval children could be considered full-fledged adults from the age of seven. The church considered seven years to be the "age of reason" - the age when a child will be held responsible for sins. Since children from a very early age were perceived as small adults, accordingly, they were portrayed as such.

6. Medieval prejudices and beliefs

Being a parent in the medieval era was far from easy. Child deaths occurred regularly. By some estimates, about twenty percent of children did not live to see their first birthday, twelve percent were between the ages of one and four, and six percent were between the ages of five and nine. The portrayal of babies as strong, healthy, adult-like children may have epitomized parents' hopes for children who would survive to adulthood.

7. An example to follow

Some experts theorize that medieval artists depicted babies with adult facial features for the benefit of real children who might see their work. The strong, mature figures depicted in the paintings served as role models for medieval children, who, looking at them, had to strive to become as adults, strong and strong as the adult kids in the picture.

8. Reproductive ideas

The homunculus was closely associated with the theory of preformism. According to this medieval school of thought, human life did not arise from the genetic components of both parents. Instead, a fully formed individual existed in one of the parents before conception. Some theorists believed that a fully developed human exists in a woman and requires a male seed in order to activate it in some chemical way. Others have argued that the baby exists in semen and has been implanted in the womb. This meant that any child could be considered a homunculus, like the Christ baby, and therefore could also be portrayed as an adult.

9. Be an adult from birth

Jesus was not the only child depicted with symbolism. Medieval and Renaissance artists also depicted the children of royalty as adults, even at a very young age. In such portraits, the focus was not on their childhood, but on the aristocratic ambitions imposed on them. Even as children, their public figures were called upon to project the qualities they needed as future leaders.

10. Change

During the Renaissance, economies began to change and a thriving middle class emerged in cities across Europe. Ordinary people could finally afford to order portraits - a privilege that previously belonged to the church and the aristocracy.

The new middle class wanted portraits of their children, but was strongly opposed to being portrayed as old people. As a result, gradually the artists began to move away from the previously imposed medieval symbolism, and the children in the paintings became much prettier.

11. New perception and views on the portrait

Renaissance thinkers helped change society's attitude towards children. Instead of treating them like little adults, people began to appreciate young men for their obvious innocence. Children were no longer perceived as imperfect beings in need of correction. Instead, they were viewed as innocent people who knew nothing of sin. Parents began to value childhood as a separate phase, separated from adulthood.

12. Artistic styles changed with the perception of Jesus

During the Renaissance, when society began to admire children and their innate innocence, the church also began to honor the childhood of Christ. The works of art of this era emphasized the natural virtues of Jesus. Theologians and artists began to pay less attention to the piety of the infant Christ and more to his innocence and absence of sin. These new ideas prompted artists to portray the infant Christ with more infant features.

13. Renaissance

The Renaissance shook the art world and destroyed the conventions that had previously held back artists, opening a new interest in realism and naturalism. The artists began to look around and depict what they observed. They broke with old conventions and painted children as they saw them, which led to the emergence of realistic children in art.

14. Revolution in the world of art

The Renaissance did not revolutionize art overnight. Styles have changed over time, but these changes have slowly but widely spread throughout the art world. Artistic representations of babies gradually began to look less like old people, but extremely muscular children still remained in the Renaissance. Over the centuries, artists abandoned medieval styles in favor of Renaissance realism.

Read also about Why the Gospel of Jesus' Childhood Shocks Many, and also abhorrent to religious dogmas.