11-12-2016, 08:55 AM
I'm always cautious when comparing various sections. For example, the rosettes foldout clearly contains elements that point to Medieval Europe as a subject matter. These are integrated into the wider picture to such an extent that they cannot be mere copyist errors or minor additions. They are an informed part of the image.
The same can be said about the Zodiac section central figures, though this is such an complex amalgam of influences that it's hard to say much with certainty about it.
Looking at Q13 and the plants sections though, I see very little that points to medieval Europe. I do see many images of such antiquity and authenticity, that I'm certain a 15th century person would not have been able to understand them without the help of a text.
JKP - taking all the above into account, I would definitely opt for the humanist story when given those two options. Those scholars salvaged what they could from old libraries, so who knows what they found there and how they combined it. If at least this one was interested in genuinely preserving ancient documents, and could have done so without inserting too many christian elements, I don't see any objection against this hypothesis.
The same can be said about the Zodiac section central figures, though this is such an complex amalgam of influences that it's hard to say much with certainty about it.
Looking at Q13 and the plants sections though, I see very little that points to medieval Europe. I do see many images of such antiquity and authenticity, that I'm certain a 15th century person would not have been able to understand them without the help of a text.
JKP - taking all the above into account, I would definitely opt for the humanist story when given those two options. Those scholars salvaged what they could from old libraries, so who knows what they found there and how they combined it. If at least this one was interested in genuinely preserving ancient documents, and could have done so without inserting too many christian elements, I don't see any objection against this hypothesis.