Meaningful form—Iconographic analysis of Adoration of the Magi
The meaning behind the theme painting"Adoration of the Magi"was explored in the painting forms of Catacombs and Renaissance.Based on the theory of"meaningful form"proposed by Clive Bell,the formal language in painting creation was expounded,such as"composition"and"perspective,"accounting for the meaning behind the form,leading to the invisible connotation.The form-based iconographic research is a probe into the basic tendency of the human mind to express specific themes and concepts under different historical conditions,which is conducive to our understanding of the uniqueness of the perceptual schema of this theme painting in each historical period of the Western Renaissance,and of the production of a different but equally complete world view in each culture or era,and our understanding of the"other reasons"behind the creation while showing the changes in thoughts behind the creation of paintings.