Allegorische Diagrammatik und diagrammatische Allegorisierung. Erkenntnisprozesse in einem allegorischen Ikonotext der ‚Regia Carmina‘ des Convenevole da Prato

Subject of this essay is the question of how the invisibility of God can be visualized. The ‘Regia Carmina’ of Convenevole da Prato (London, British Library, Royal 6 E IX) serves as an example. They are designed through allegorical iconotexts. Convenevole’s reflection consists basically of a mental image and a painted picture. This essay deals with two questions: 1) How are the mental image and the painted picture arranged to initiate a thought process regarding the relation of the painted picture to God in a diagrammatic transfer? The thought process aims to gain knowledge about the figurative representation of God. 2) Is the iconotext only modelled as a medium of insight or can it also be seen as a figure of reflection of a diagrammatic way of thinking, in which the possibilities and limits of pictorial and verbal signs are defined? In this example the fundamental and productive connection of allegorical and diagrammatic method becomes apparent. On the one hand the diagrammatic way of thinking is influenced by allegory. On the other hand the process of allegorisation that is based on a diagrammatic point of view becomes evident.