Raphael’s ‘imperfect’ viol: a question of perspective

Hirsch, Thilo; Haiduk, Marina; Sayim, Bilge (2021). Raphael’s ‘imperfect’ viol: a question of perspective Early Music, 49(3), pp. 329-346. Oxford University Press https://doi.org/10.1093/em/caab047

Preview

Text Hirsch_Haiduk_Sayim_Raphaels_imperfect_viol_a_question_of_perspective_AOV.pdf - Submitted Version Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (932kB) | Preview

‘La viole parfaite’ is an article by Toon Moonen published in 1993, in which he describes his method of reconstructing an early viol on the basis of the instrument’s depiction in Raphael’s Saint Cecilia (c.1515–18). To date, the argument for using an iconographic source as a model for a Renaissance viol remains the same: all extant larger bowed stringed instruments dated to before the last quarter of the 16th century have been either so significantly modified that their original state is unrecognizable, or they are obvious counterfeits. This article examines Moonen’s reconstruction method in an interdisciplinary case study. Based on infrared reflectograms, for example, it was possible to show that the viol lying on the ground in Saint Cecilia was not subsequently altered. The reconstruction of the viol’s outline using 3d graphics yields completely new results, and perceptual psychology allows an analysis of the ‘reality effects’ possibly intended by the painter. In addition, this research also enables the examination of the general methodological requirements for reconstructing musical instruments from iconographic sources.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	Bern Academy of the Arts Bern Academy of the Arts > Institute Interpretation Bern Academy of the Arts > Institute Interpretation > Performance and interpretation Bern Academy of the Arts > Institute Interpretation > Musical Instruments
Name:	Hirsch, Thilo0000-0001-7707-7469; Haiduk, Marina and Sayim, Bilge0000-0002-7589-5385
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > M Music
ISSN:	0306-1078
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Projects:	[UNSPECIFIED] Rabab & Rebec: Erforschung von fellbespannten Streichinstrumenten des späten Mittelalters und der frühen Renaissance und deren Rekonstruktion
Language:	English
Submitter:	Thilo Hirsch
Date Deposited:	19 Nov 2021 11:07
Last Modified:	02 Feb 2022 13:20
Publisher DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1093/em/caab047
Additional Information:	This is an AOV (Authors Original Version) of the article whose VOR (Version of Record) appeared in Early Music in August 2021: https://doi.org/10.1093/em/caab047
Uncontrolled Keywords:	music, musicology, organology, bowed string instruments, reconstruction
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.15712
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/15712