Perfection’s Therapy: An Essay on Albrecht Dürer’s Melencolia I (Zone Books)

Albrecht Dürer’s master engraving, Melencolia I , has stood for centuries as a pictorial summa of knowledge about melancholia and an allegory of the limits of earthbound arts and sciences. Zealously interpreted since the nineteenth century, the work also presides over the origins of modern iconology. Yet more than a century of research has left us with a tangle of mutually contradictory theories. In Perfection’s Therapy , Mitchell Merback discovers in Melencolia’s opacity a fascinating possibility: that Dürer’s masterpiece is not only an arresting diagnosis of melancholic distress, but an innovative instrument for its undoing. Merback deftly analyses the visual and narrative structure of Dürer’s image, revisits its philosophical and medical contexts, and resituates it within the long history of the therapeutic artifact. Placing Dürer’s project in dialogue with that of humanism’s founder, Francesco Petrarch, Merback also unearths the German artist’s ambition to act as a physician of the soul. Celebrated by contemporaries as the “Apelles of our age,” and ever since as Germany’s first Renaissance painter-theorist, the Dürer we encounter here is also the first modern Christian artist, addressing himself to the distress of souls, including his own. Melencolia thus emerges as a key reference point in a project of spiritual-ethical therapy, a work designed to exercise the mind, rebalance the passions, remedy the soul, and help in getting on with the project of perfection. Albrecht Dürer's Famous Portrayal Of Creative Effort In Paralysis, The Unsurpassed Masterpiece Of Copperplate Engraving Titled 'melencolia I', Has Stood For Centuries As A Pictorial Summa Of Knowledge About The Melancholic Temperament, A Dense Allegory Of The Limits Of Earthbound Arts And Sciences And The Impossibility Of Attaining Perfection. Dubbed The Image Of Images For Being The Most Zealously Interpreted Picture In The Western Canon, 'melencolia I' Also Presides Over The Origins Of Modern Iconology, Art History's Own Science Of Meaning. Yet We Are Left With A Clutter Of Mutually Contradictory Theories, A Historiographic Ruin That Confirms The Mood Of Its Object. In 'perfection's Therapy', Mitchell Merback Reopens The Case File And Argues For A Hidden Intentionality In 'melencolia's' Opacity, Its Structural Chaos, And Its Resistance To Allegorical Closure. That Intentionality, He Argues, Points Toward A Fascinating Possibility Never Before Considered: That Dürer's Masterpiece Is Not Only An Arresting Diagnosis Of Melancholic Distress, But An Innovative Instrument For Its Undoing.0merback Deftly Resituates Dürer's Image Within The Long History Of The Therapeutic Artifact. Placing Dürer's Therapeutic Project In Dialogue With That Of Humanism's Founder, Francesco Petrarch, Merback Also Unearths Dürer's Ambition To Act As A Physician Of The Soul. Celebrated As The Apelles Of The Black Line In His Own Day, And Ever Since As Germany's First Renaissance Painter-theorist, The Dürer We Encounter Here Is Also The First Modern Christian Artist, Addressing Himself To The Distress Of Souls, Including His Own. 'melencolia' Thus Emerges As A Key Reference Point In A Venture Of Spiritual-ethical Therapy, A Work Designed To Exercise The Mind, Restore The Body's Equilibrium, And Help In Getting On With The Undertaking Of Perfection. An Allegory Of Deep Speculative Thought -- Restless Eye, Captive Mind -- Therapies Of The Image In The Age Of Dürer -- The Narrative Quality Of Melancholia -- The Artist As Medicus, Part 1 : Practices Of The Self -- The Artist As Medicus, Part 2 : Soul Services. Mitchell B. Merback. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A deft reinterpretation of the most zealously interpreted picture in the Western canon as a therapeutic artifact. Albrecht Drer's famous portrayal of creative effort in paralysis, the unsurpassed masterpiece of copperplate engraving titled Melencolia I , has stood for centuries as a pictorial summa of knowledge about the melancholic temperament, a dense allegory of the limits of earthbound arts and sciences and the impossibility of attaining perfection. Dubbed the image of images for being the most zealously interpreted picture in the Western canon, Melencolia I also presides over the origins of modern iconology, art history's own science of meaning. Yet we are left with a clutter of mutually contradictory theories, a historiographic ruin that confirms the mood of its object. In Perfection's Therapy , Mitchell Merback reopens the case file and argues for a hidden intentionality in Melencolia 's opacity, its structural chaos, and its resistance to allegorical closure. That intentionality, he argues, points toward a fascinating possibility never before considered: that Drer's masterpiece is not only an arresting diagnosis of melancholic distress, but an innovative instrument for its undoing. Merback deftly resituates Drer's image within the long history of the therapeutic artifact. Placing Drer's therapeutic project in dialogue with that of humanism's founder, Francesco Petrarch, Merback also unearths Drer's ambition to act as a physician of the soul. Celebrated as the "Apelles of the black line" in his own day, and ever since as Germany's first Renaissance painter-theorist, the Drer we encounter here is also the first modern Christian artist, addressing himself to the distress of souls, including his own. Melencolia thus emerges as a key reference point in a venture of spiritual-ethical therapy, a work designed to exercise the mind, restore the body's equilibrium, and help in getting on with the undertaking of perfection. Albrecht Dürer's famous portrayal of creative effort in paralysis, the unsurpassed masterpiece of copperplate engraving titled 'Melencolia I', has stood for centuries as a pictorial summa of knowledge about the melancholic temperament, a dense allegory of the limits of earthbound arts and sciences and the impossibility of attaining perfection. Dubbed the "image of images" for being the most zealously interpreted picture in the Western canon, 'Melencolia I' also presides over the origins of modern iconology, art history's own science of meaning. Yet we are left with a clutter of mutually contradictory theories, a historiographic ruin that confirms the mood of its object. In 'Perfection's Therapy', Mitchell Merback reopens the case file and argues for a hidden intentionality in 'Melencolia's' opacity, its structural "chaos," and its resistance to allegorical closure. That intentionality, he argues, points toward a fascinating possibility never before considered: that Dürer's masterpiece is not only an arresting diagnosis of melancholic distress, but an innovative instrument for its undoing. Merback deftly resituates Dürer's image within the long history of the therapeutic artifact. Placing Dürer's therapeutic project in dialogue with that of humanism's founder, Francesco Petrarch, Merback also unearths Dürer's ambition to act as a physician of the soul. Celebrated as the "Apelles of the black line" in his own day, and ever since as Germany's first Renaissance painter-theorist, the Dürer we encounter here is also the first modern Christian artist, addressing himself to the distress of souls, including his own. 'Melencolia' thus emerges as a key reference point in a venture of spiritual-ethical therapy, a work designed to exercise the mind, restore the body's equilibrium, and help in getting on with the undertaking of perfection. Provided by publisher Contents Introduction Chapter One: An "Allegory of Deep, Speculative Thought” Chapter Two: Restless Eye, Active Mind Chapter Three: Therapies of the Image in the Age of Dürer Chapter Four: The Narrative Quality of Melancholia Prologue to Chapters Five and Six Chapter Five: The Artist as Medicus, Part One: Practices of the Self Chapter Six: The Artist as Medicus, Part Two: Soul Service Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index