September
14
/ 2023
In medieval art, depictions of babies are far from the cherubic, innocent infants we imagine today. Instead, they appear as miniature adults, complete with mature features that can be quite unsettling. This peculiar artistic choice can be attributed to several factors. First and foremost, the influence of Christian theology played a significant role. The New Testament doesn't describe the appearance of the baby Jesus, but medieval church doctrine held that Christ was a fully formed man at birth. This belief, though perplexing, shaped the way artists portrayed the infant Jesus and, subsequently, other babies in their art. Moreover, the concept of the " homunculus," a fully formed human believed to exist before conception, contributed to this artistic trend. The homunculus
