The Voynich Ninja
Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - Printable Version

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Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - Mark Knowles - 18-01-2026

As a distraction from my work on rare words and rare glyphs in Voynichese I thought I would raise this question.

I am inclined given my theories to view the Voynich manuscript as a product of the Italian renaissance more than a medieval work, although one clearly with obvious medieval influences. I daresay others have a different perspective. Nevertheless I would be curious as to other perspectives.

RE: Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - bi3mw - 18-01-2026

Well, the early Renaissance in Italy is generally dated from 1420 onwards. So it's a question of definition.

RE: Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - Rafal - 18-01-2026

Okay, let me start in maybe naive way  Wink

This is Renaissance art - realistic people and full 3D perspective:
[Image: _The_School_of_Athens__by_Raffaello_Sanz...Urbino.jpg]

Voynich art is nothing like that and is more similar to Medieval art.

What is your answer?

RE: Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - Mark Knowles - 18-01-2026

(Yesterday, 11:09 PM)Rafal Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Okay, let me start in maybe naive way  Wink

This is Renaissance art - realistic people and full 3D perspective:
[Image: _The_School_of_Athens__by_Raffaello_Sanz...Urbino.jpg]

Voynich art is nothing like that and is more similar to Medieval art.

What is your answer?

Well, I don't see the Voynich as a work of renaissance painting. I suppose that the renaissance can be seen in much broader terms. Perhaps, I view it more in terms of emerging renaissance science. Of course, the 3D renaissance art techniques developed out renaissance science as well.
(Yesterday, 10:56 PM)bi3mw Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Well, the early Renaissance in Italy is generally dated from 1420 onwards. So it's a question of definition.

Very much so. Different people will give different definitions of the start of the renaissance. And obviously drawing a firm line between the Medieval and renaissance periods is arbitrary.

RE: Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - Mark Knowles - 18-01-2026

I suppose as someone who views the Voynich as a somewhat innovative scientific notebook for the time written in a somewhat novel cipher I like to view it in terms of the renaissance rather than the Medieval.

RE: Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - Jorge_Stolfi - 19-01-2026

(Yesterday, 11:19 PM)Mark Knowles Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Well, I don't see the Voynich as a work of renaissance painting. I suppose that the renaissance can be seen in much broader terms. Perhaps, I view it more in terms of emerging renaissance science. Of course, the 3D renaissance art techniques developed out renaissance science as well.

As has been discussed many times, the VMS Scribe may have had some experience writing in Latin or whatver, but no experience at all with illustrations.   For instance, he learned to draw a passable nymph only after completing 2-3 pages of the Zodiac.  He could not divide a circle into four equal parts, or plan his drawings so that all the parts would fit into the space available.  

In particular, he had no notion of perspective.  Not even to the limited extent that people had in the Middle Ages. 

So you cannot use the style of the illustrations to judge the epoch the VMS was created.  It makes more sense to look for books where he may have copied from.  Like the "herbals of the alchemists", of that German book that seems to be the inspiration for the Ages of Man in f85r2.  But, as noted before, he could not understand that drawing either...

All the best, --stolfi

RE: Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - Koen G - 19-01-2026

Renaissance is a bit of a loaded term these days, given the many misconceptions surrounding it. There are many definitions, depending on the region and subject matter you focus on.

Now if we call the VM a renaissance work,  that implies that it does at least something different than before. What would that be?

RE: Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - nablator - 19-01-2026

(11 hours ago)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Now if we call the VM a renaissance work,  that implies that it does at least something different than before. What would that be?

Some argue that the script is humanistic. I'm not convinced, because it's like comparing apples and oranges.

There are a few hatch patterns typical of post-1450 drawings but they are not used consistently for 3D shading, so again an unconvincing argument.

The many nymphs, if they are interpreted as mythological allegories, may be evidence of a Renaissance-type work, drawing from Greco-Latin mythology, unless they are actually from some other mythology, in which case all bets are off.

RE: Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - Rafal - 19-01-2026

I also think that you should be aware that most of us here aren't "experts" in Renaissance.

So treat everything said here more cautiously than you would do with opinions coming from an art historian or generally a historian specialising in Renaissance.

On the other hand VM is tricky, even for experts. For example Panofski claimed that it comes from Spain, showing traces of Jewish and Arab art ( You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. ). And O'Neill "poisoned" the VM research for many years with his sunflower thing.

We can discuss the art or ideas of VM. However discussing the ideas is somehow hard as we don't understand the text  Wink

As of art, Nick Pelling at some moment discussed such stuff as parallel hatching:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

It was before of VM carbon dating as he came to conclusions that Voynich Manuscript comes from around 1450-1480. Again, as you can see, it is tricky and your theories may easily collapse.

You should also avoid myths about Medieval Ages like:

- They didn't know ancient myths and culture  
- They were very pious and prayed all the time. Then humanist came and shifted the focus from God to humans
- They were prude, avoiding depicting nudity and bathed in clothes
  (they didn't and naked nymphs aren't really that avant-garde)
and others

But maybe share some your ideas with us so we don't talk at so high level of abstraction  Smile

RE: Is the Voynich a renaissance work? - Aga Tentakulus - 19-01-2026

(8 hours ago)nablator Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.The many nymphs, if they are interpreted as mythological allegories, may be evidence of a Renaissance-type work

Perhaps it is also an allusion by students to Konrad von Megenberg when he was still rector of the University of Vienna, and to his seal. After all, he was also a secular clergyman.

Three naked women in the upper part of the coat of arms.