Dirty Light - Marko Ciciliani

In the long run, the logical and hierarchical worldview of Aristotle was not able to
satisfy the religious sense [of the Middle Ages]. It appeared to be too abstract for the
natural sensation. In the occult sciences sensuality was able to assert itself. 19
The forming of analogies based on numerical symbolisms, and the idea of a cosmologic allencompassing
order were in high gear. St. Augustine said that he “perceived numbers via an
inner sense organ”. 20 The numbers 7, 4 and 3 were of special importance. The seven artes
liberales were the common canon of knowledge and wisdom and music – which was
considered a science rather than an art form – was part of it. As in Antiquity, the study of
music was regarded as a way to examine the basic laws of harmony that underlie the universe.
As part of analogous systems colours and pitches or modes were included. There was
however no established theory of a fixed correlation between the two. It is noteworthy,
though, that the beginnings of modern music notation took place in the Middle Ages and that
the use of coloured lines was common practice. In the 10 th century only one line was used. It
designated the note f and was drawn in red. Since the 12 th century a second line in yellow was
added designing the note c. Around 1085 the tractatus Questiones in musica described a
notation system which used only one line in different colours, according to the mode that was
used: dorian was red, phrygian green, lydian yellow and mixolydian purple. Similar uses of
colour can often be found in the Middle Ages. However, it does not seem as if synaesthetic
experiences or concepts played any role in these developments. Vinzenz von Beauvais
(±1190-1264) wrote a tractatus about music around 1260, which was largely based on
Boethius . He, for the first time, compared musical intervals to combinations of colours.
1.1.4 Alchemy in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
Alchemy had its origin in the late Hellenistic culture and was pervaded by a pantheistic and
holistic understanding of the universe. In the alchemists view the world was God’s
emanation. Matter was therefore imbued with God’s spirit and matter and spirit were
considered as one entity. It was believed that God enacted his will on the earth through light,
more specifically through the stellar spheres and planets. Especially since the 16 th century
astrology was therefore an essential part of alchemist practice. 21 As Alchemy strongly drew
from the Greek philosophers, the Pythagorean idea of a universal harmony of the spheres also
found its way into alchemist astrology. Light was considered divine and some alchemists
19 Fierz, Markus: Girolamo Cardano (1501-1576), Basel: Schriftenreihe der Eidgenössischen Technischen
Hochschule Zürich, Vol.4 (1977), 12f, my translation.
20 quoted after Crombie, Alistair Cameron: Augustine to Galileo, München: DTV (1959/77), 15.
21 Szulakowska, Ursula: The Alchemy of Light, Leiden: Brill (2000), 13ff.
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