La storia della salvezza "more geometrico"; la volta della navata di S. Ignazio a Roma affrescata da Andrea Pozzo

Nothing is in the intellect what has not been before in the senses! The marvelous effect of the perspectival painting on the vaults of S.Ignazio is prodigious and creates «stupore». That is, according to the rhetorics of Quintilian, what is tangible for the «indocti», while – only – the «docti» may have some deeper insights. But Pozzo wants to persuade everyone of the divine truth through the «inganno» of his perspectival art. He does it by means of the «more geometrico», which also stands for firm conclusion and is demonstrated by straight lines («per lineas rectas»), on which the art of perspective is based. To his disciples Pozzo recommends to «tirar sempre tutte le linee [...] al vero punto dell’occhio che è la gloria Divina». And in order to exclude any risk, Pozzo insists on the unique «punctus oculi opticus», from which the painted scene is perceived perfectly indeed. Seen from this point of view the «inganno» (the perspectival lie) is not anymore a risk of error, but, as it appears transformed into a calculated and directed tool, deserves praise. Is has become conform to the «causalitas divina». The method of the «pittore cristiano», as which Pozzo considers himself, is straightforward and in perfect unity with the religious goals. Pozzo is persuading people of theological truth through the senses and finds a «pactus rationalis» to do so. Obviously such a strict – Jesuitical – discipline would undergo a serious crisis, once the conflict between philosophy and theology opens up, to‚ tolerate’ the religious forms within our contingent world according to a «constructed Christianity» (Schelling) or simply by being transformed into a «religious anthropology» (Feuerbach). Pozzos fresco will in this case remain simply a stupendous work of art, and not anymore that «teatro sacro» thought to convince the believing people of their salvation on the way to God.